Zac jones expresses his displeasure with being bumped out of the New York Rangers lineup
The New York Rangers have made the tough decision to sit defenseman Zac Jones. The scratch came against one of the Atlantic Division's best teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jones hasn't played since December 23rd against the New Jersey Devils, and has voiced his frustration.
Jones had made the New York Rangers team out of training camp this season, after finishing 2023-2024 strong.
But, this season saw him in a timeshare with prospect Victor Mancini, and once he was sent to the AHL, Jones was again 6th defenseman in the lineup.
He and Braden Schneider were one of the best pairs on the team early in the season. And now, he has fallen out of favor with the Rangers it seems, as with new acquisitions Will Borgen, and Urho Vaakanainen the team is chock full of defensive talent.
Honestly, we'd never thought it'd come to the point, where Zac Jones was a healthy scratch.
Jones has 8 points( 1 G, 7 A) in 26 games with the Blueshirts this season. The last five games were a major red flag though, as he came away with only 5 shots on goal and a -4 rating.
Early in the season, the Jones and Schneider pairing was on the ice for 9 GF and 5 GA, giving them a 2.71 GF/ per 60-minute average.
While Urho Vaakanainen seems to have gained Peter Laviolette's trust, as he is Braden Schneider's new partner.
However, it doesn't seem that it could be for long if Vaakanainen continues to produce bagels, as he's only put up 4 shots on goal and 4 blocks in the last five games played.
Jones is another Ranger whose contract will expire at the end of the season as an RFA.
He has a cap hit of $812K and could find himself on the trade block if he doesn't fit into the Rangers' long-term plans. Given how GM Chris Drury has played his cards recently, the next steps for Jones seem opaque.
