Peter Laviolette Addresses Delicate Situation Regarding Zac Jones

It’s been a tough season for Zac Jones with the New York Rangers thus far.

After being scratched out of the lineup for a large part of last year, it’s more of the same for Jones recently.

The 24-year-old defenseman has not played in a game since Dec. 23 as the additions of Will Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen have put Jones in a difficult position.

Some might suggest the Rangers send Jones down to the American Hockey League. Peter Laviolette shot down any possibility of that happening.

“Those things are discussed between Drury and myself,” Laviolette said. “What’s best for the team right now is we need him here. He’s a part of our team and he’s played good minutes for us. If needed on, I know he’ll go in and do a good job, but right now we need him here.”

A few weeks ago, Jones voiced his frustration about constantly getting benched, finally unloading all of his emotions.

“It (expletive) sucks, it (expletive) sucks,” Jones told Larry Brooks of the New York Post. “It’s frustrating when you think you’re doing some things well, and it’s just, you just keep getting taken out, taken out, taken out. I just feel like I’m rotting away a little bit…

“I’m not a 32-year-old guy collecting a paycheck. I’m a guy who wants to earn my paycheck. I need to play. I have things I need to improve in order to be a full-time player, and that’s what I want to be.”

Jones is a player who brings a lot of positive energy to the locker room and seems to always have a smile on his face despite all the adversity he has faced, so it’s hard not to feel bad for him at the moment.

In Laviolette’s defense, the Rangers have been playing some of their best hockey and he feels it’s not necessary to change the lineup and deservingly so.

While Jones will likely remain with the team over the next few weeks leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, his future in New York remains murky.