Coming from the hockey cold bed of Virginia, Jones has a legitimate chance to be the sixth player from that state to play in the NHL. Fleet of foot and hand, he is primarily an offensive defender and is headed to Umass-Amherst next season, where he is likely to take over from Cale Makar as the latter is expected to turn pro in the off-season. Jones is not a one-dimensional player, but his size and style suggest he will be treated like one until he proves that he can be trusted in dicier situations. He looks like a promising mid to late round selection.
| Zac Jones | 2019 Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: D, Shoots L | H/W: 5-10", 178 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Tri-City Storm, USHL (42-7-32-39-34) |
Zac Jones. Photo by Hickling Images.
Skating: Uses quick little steps to get to top speed in a hurry. His speed allows him to play a risky game, getting deep into the offensive end and still able to recover to his own zone in due time. His edge-work makes him seem dynamic at time. Tight turning and edges might him slippery with the puck. Very much a modern-day blueliner. Grade: 55
Shot: Jones owns a hard blueline shot. The slapper ensures he will get time on the man advantage going forward and he can sneak one past the goalie with a wrist shot as well. Grade: 50
Skills: Jones is very skilled with the puck. He won’t force a play if it isn’t there, but has a number of skill moves up his sleeve that he can pull out to impress. He can drag and deke his way past the first line of defense and thereby begin the process of generating scoring opportunities. Grade: 60
Smarts: Although clearly an offensive defenseman, Jones is not without his value off the puck. He knows how to defend against a two-on-one rush, shading towards the puck carrier until he is close enough to get his stick on the puck. He is quick to get back, even when playing deep in the offensive end. Can defend against zone entries. Will probably not get much use on the PK or against top lines at the next level, but that is likely more due to conserving his energy for his offensive game as opposed to protecting him from something he cannot do. Grade: 50
Physicality: Like many new-age, fast skating, puck handling defenders, Jones is also small, and thereby somewhat less than physical. He doesn’t shy away from contact and can pin his man against the boards, helping to create a turnover, but there is not much more than that. Grade: 45
Overall Future Projection (OFP) = 52
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity