THE QUESTION IS ... WHY DID SABRES SIGN Z JONES?

 ZAC JONES was returned to AHL Rochester Tuesday, another example of why the Buffalo Sabres are the NHL’s 

worst (by far) franchise which hasn’t qualified for the 

playoffs in 14 years.

The 25 year old defenseman from Richmond, who joined 

the team as a free agent this summer after five frustrating 

seasons with the New York Rangers … with a two-way 

contract described as “uncommonly rich” … now has 

every reason to ask why … as in why didn’t I go 

elsewhere? Or, more to the point, why did they want me in 

the first place?

Given the fact that Jones was sent to the minor leagues 

more than a week before the Sabres opened 2025-26 with 

three straight losses you had to believe he was signed by 

GM KEVYN ADAMS over the objections of 

coach LINDY RUFF.

Making his second tour of duty as Buffalo coach, Ruff 

dismissed Jones being sent down with a cryptic “I guess 

he didn’t play as well as some other defensemen.” And 

that was good enough for the media who already had 

been fed negative statistics about him (presumably by 

Ruff).

Such as? According to a piece that appeared on-line 

Monday, Jones “has had negative relative Corsi shares at 

even strength in all five seasons at the top level. Last 

year’s possession numbers were particularly 

underwhelming at a 48.6 CF 0/0 and 44.2 xCF 0/0, both 

below team averages.”

(Pardon our French … but what the hell is negative 

relative Corsi, much less CF 0/0 and xCF 0/0? The 

Rangers failed to make the playoffs. Jones appeared in a 

career-high 46 games and proved a fan favorite despite 

lack of interest in him by coach PETER LAVIOLETTE

who was fired at season’s end.)

The 5-11, 190-pound Jones’ lack of size has always been 

a perceived problem … which has led to accusations of 

“lack of physicality” without recognizing Jones makes up 

for it with timely stick work that negates scoring 

opportunities by opposing forwards.

Also, he seldom is caught out of position, and, with the 

exception of 2022 NHL defenseman of the year ADAM 

FOX, the Rangers had no one who could move the puck 

from the defensive zone better than Jones whose first pass 

invariably was on the mark to a teammate.

In addition, while playing for AHL Hartford, he proved 

to have uncanny ability as point man on the power play 

… which he seldom got to demonstrate in New York 

because the position belonged to Fox.

Nevertheless, with a defensive corps that’s only upside is 

it is BIG, Ruff called up Jones for Monday night’s game 

in Montreal and didn’t use him. A healthy scratch, he 

watched the Sabres drop a 3-1 decision to the Canadiens 

then rejoined Rochester where he had four assists, two on 

the power play, in four games.

Buffalo fell to 2-4-0, and fans already are calling for Ruff 

to be fired. One showed his disgust following a 3-1 loss at 

home to Colorado by throwing his Sabres’ jersey over the 

boards and on to the ice.

Wednesday night … in Rochester, N.Y., the Amerks (3-2-

0) handed Syracuse its first loss (after four straight wins) 

with a 4-2 victory … as Jones secured his fifth team-

leading assist (via the power play) and finished with a 

team-best six shots … In Buffalo, the Sabres turned a 

two-goal third period into a 4-2 decision over Detroit, 

ending its six-game winning streak. The Red Wings’ first 

goal was on a wide-open rebound when Sabres’ 5-8 

defenseman ZACH METSA, 27, appearing in his second 

NFL game, lost his check and was unable to recover in 

time.

Until next time ...