Now in his fifth season with the New York Rangers, defenseman Zac Jones has secured a regular spot in the lineup as the 2024-25 season begins. In four games, he has been solid on the third defensive pair alongside rookie Victor Mancini, contributing one assist and a plus-4 rating, helping the Rangers achieve a 3-0-1 record.
Having recently turned 24, Jones has been a refreshing addition to the Rangers’ defense, which has needed a puck-moving presence on the third pair to enhance transitions and help clear the defensive zone. Both he and Mancini have excelled in this aspect.
However, not everything is ideal. Jones shares the second-most giveaways on the team with six, and the Rangers have been outchanced 26-22 while he’s on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. He has been involved in seven high-danger chances for compared to 12 against, but the Rangers have outscored their opponents 5-1 with him playing.
Both Jones and Mancini look good on the ice; they maintain composure defensively and distribute the puck effectively. After spending last season as the extra defenseman for 31 games, Jones is now ready to be a regular, averaging a career-high 15:45 in ice time.
Even though Jones and Mancini have formed a strong partnership so far, it might be disrupted by the return of Ryan Lindgren, who has been sidelined for the first four games of the season due to an upper-body injury. If Lindgren resumes his usual position alongside Adam Fox, it’s likely that Mancini could be the one moved out of the lineup, which would be unfortunate since the 22-year-old has been performing well, recently scoring his first NHL goal in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Does this create competition for Mancini and Jones to remain in the lineup? The answer is no, as Mancini is the only defenseman who is exempt from waivers, meaning he can be reassigned to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, without risk of being claimed by another team.
If Jones or Chad Ruhwedel, who has yet to play this season as the veteran extra defenseman, were to be demoted, they would have to clear waivers, which general manager Chris Drury is likely hesitant to do. Drury appears to prefer having Ruhwedel as a backup while allowing Mancini to log significant minutes in Hartford.
Thus, it’s likely that Mancini will go back to Hartford as soon as Lindgren is cleared to play, leaving Jones to remain on the third pair with either Braden Schneider or Jacob Trouba. Initially, coach Peter Laviolette will likely pair Trouba back with K’Andre Miller, positioning Jones and Schneider together on the third pair.
Jones has previously played alongside both Schneider and Trouba, and his style should complement either player effectively. After four seasons of development, Jones has earned his place in the lineup and has done nothing to suggest he should be removed.
