Introducing Max Jones, the New Bruins.
When the Boston Bruins return to the ice this fall, there will be a number of new faces. The two biggest additions will be Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm, while there will also be some notable faces missing with Jake DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk signing elsewhere this summer.
While maybe not the biggest name, there is a lot to also be intrigued about with the addition of Max Jones, who was signed to a two-year, $2 million deal. It’s a smaller contract that only carries an average annual value of $1 million. He’s a low cap hit guy, similar to the signings that they made last summer when they had very little cap space. But, guys like Danton Heinen and James van Riemsdyk ended up providing a lot more than was expected for the contract they were under. Jones could be the next successful “cheap” signing from general manager Don Sweeney.
Jones was sixth on that roster in points with 52 in 63 games that season, including 28 goals. The Knights went on to win the Memorial Cup, the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Jones though only appeared in six games during the playoff run, registering one goal and two points. He received a 12-game suspension after a blindside hit during a playoff game against the Owen Sound Attack.
Still, Jones entered the 2016 NHL Draft as a Memorial Cup champion and with expectations to go in the first round. He was praised for his ability to take advantage of his size and his above-average skating skills. His shot was also noted as a strong part of his game and his versatility to play on both the penalty kill and power play.
But after being projected as a top-ten pick going into the 2015-16 season, he dipped down the draft boards a bit due to his lack of discipline and playmaking talent, making it hard to predict his ceiling. There were questions if he could be a top-end forward and make the most of his physicality like Tom Wilson, or would ultimately become a bottom-six forward. Ultimately, he was selected 24th overall by the Anaheim Ducks.
