Zachary Jones D BUF Tue 7/1/25 11:21 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Sabres on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.
EDGE Analysis
Jones' NHL salary is $900,000, which is a sizable step up from the minimum that most two-way contracts come with. The 24-year-old was not given a qualifying offer by the Rangers on Monday, but it didn't take him long to find work again. Jones will be in contention for a bottom-four role with the Sabres, but he may end up spending some time at AHL Rochester as well.
Zachary Jones D BUF Mon 6/30/25 5:29 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Rangers on Monday, making him an unrestricted free agent, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports.
EDGE Analysis
Jones made a career-high 46 appearances with the Rangers last year and logged a goal, 10 assists, 46 blocked shots, 28 hits and 24 PIM while averaging 17:15 of ice time. Despite his success relative to his career numbers, he saw inconsistent playing time down the stretch and will now part ways with the Rangers. He could draw interest on the open market during the offseason, but it seems likely that the 24-year-old will have to settle for a bottom-four role next season.
Zachary Jones D BUF Tue 4/15/25 1:28 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones suited up for the third time in nine games in Monday's 5-3 win over the Panthers.
EDGE Analysis
Jones wasn't able to maintain consistent playing time in 2024-25, though he had some extended runs in the lineup when the Rangers dealt with injuries. He's produced 11 points, 50 shots on net, 43 blocked shots, 28 hits and 24 PIM over 45 appearances. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer, but the Rangers already have five blueliners under contract with Jones and K'Andre Miller in need of new deals, so Jones may not be able to carve out much more ice time in 2025-26.
Zachary Jones D BUF Thu 3/13/25 11:53 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones notched an assist, three shots on goal, four hits, two blocked shots and six PIM in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Wild.
EDGE Analysis
Jones' second penalty, a double-minor for high-sticking, led to the Wild's second goal, which forced overtime. All's well that ends well for the defenseman, as the Rangers got the win on a Braden Schneider tally in the extra session. Jones has picked up three helpers and 14 blocked shots over his last six outings while seeing time on the power play. The 24-year-old blueliner has racked up career highs in assists (10), points (11), blocks (36), PIM (18) and games played (36) this season.
Zachary Jones D BUF Tue 3/4/25 1:16 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones notched an assist, four blocked shots and two shots on goal in Monday's 4-0 win over the Islanders.
EDGE Analysis
This was Jones' first point in three games since he came back from his conditioning stint with AHL Hartford. The 24-year-old is poised to play a larger role down the stretch as the Rangers have pivoted to selling. Jones is still on the third pairing on paper, but he saw 19:14 of ice time Monday as well as a power-play role in the absence of Adam Fox (upper body). Six of the Rangers' seven healthy blueliners are left-handed shots, so there could be a pinch point for bottom-four minutes once Fox is healthy again.
Zachary Jones D BUF Mon 2/24/25 1:10 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones was recalled from AHL Hartford on Monday.
EDGE Analysis
Jones was sent to the AHL on a conditioning loan Thursday, but he'll rejoin the Rangers shortly after the team resumed play following the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Jones is unlikely to see much playing time with New York, as he's made just two NHL appearances since the start of the calendar year.
Zachary Jones D BUF Thu 2/20/25 6:05 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones was assigned to AHL Hartford on a conditioning loan.
EDGE Analysis
Jones got into a couple of games in February prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break, but he spent 18 contests out of the lineup before that. This move will allow him an opportunity to maintain his game readiness. Jones was replaced on the NHL roster by Matthew Robertson, who will likely return to Hartford when Jones' loan is over.
Zachary Jones D BUF Mon 1/27/25 1:40 AM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones was scratched for the 15th straight game in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Avalanche.
EDGE Analysis
Jones saw steady playing time for much of November and December, but that's dried up. The Rangers' turnaround has hinged on two trades involving defensemen -- one that swapped Jacob Trouba for Urho Vaakanainen and another that brought in Will Borgen at the expense of Kaapo Kakko. Vaakanainen has largely taken over the third-pairing spot that belonged to Jones previously, and with the Rangers finding success, there's been no need to shuffle the lineup. For the season, Jones is at eight points, 24 shots on net, 16 blocked shots, 14 hits and a plus-2 rating over 26 appearances. He's one point and five games shy of matching his totals in those categories from the 2023-24 regular season.
Zachary Jones D BUF Wed 12/25/24 10:10 PM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones has averaged 1:00 of power-play time per game this season.
EDGE Analysis
Jones is not guaranteed to be in the lineup, as the 24-year-old occasionally sits out when the Rangers' defense is fully healthy. When he's played, Jones has been put in a position to succeed with second-pairing minutes and a spot on the second power-play unit. He has eight points, 24 shots on net, 16 blocked shots, 14 hits and a plus-2 rating through 26 outings. He still needs to find another level on offense, but Jones could be given more minutes if the Rangers' December swoon persists much longer.
Zachary Jones D BUF Sun 12/1/24 9:08 AM
Zachary Jones
D BUF
Jones had a power-play assist and one shot on goal in Saturday's 4-3 win over Montreal.
EDGE Analysis
Jones sent a pass to the slot that eventually landed on the stick of Will Cuylle, who found Kaapo Kakko netside for the game-winning goal. It was the third assist in four games since Jones returned from a lower-body injury. The power-play point was his first of the season.