Sabres sign Zac Jones to one-year, two-way contract

Jones played 46 games in the NHL this season, scoring one goal and adding 10 assists for 11 points. It was his best NHL output to date, surpassing the nine he had a year ago. Jones also scored in one of his two AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack this season.

Drafted 68th overall in 2019, Jones quickly became one of the Rangers’ top prospects. He had a great two-year run at UMass, electing to turn pro in 2021 after his sophomore campaign. He made an immediate impression, registering four assists in 10 games, and even playing a decent role on USA’s World Championship team.

But from there, inconsistency started to plague the defender. He never once became a full-time NHLer, either finding himself back in the AHL, or sitting on the sidelines. To date, Jones has 28 points in 115 games over five NHL seasons, and 67 points in 108 games over three AHL campaigns.

In Buffalo, Jones has a fresh start – a new opportunity to try and prove his worth as an NHL defender. At 5-foot-11, Jones doesn’t have ideal size for an NHLer. But he still has decent puck work, something he has shown plenty of times in the AHL.

The Sabres haven’t many big deals today, with the most notable being the re-signing of Ryan McLeod to a four-year extension. The Sabres still have over $13.7 million in cap space with at least one more spot on the blueline to fill. Bowen Byram has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate, while defensemen Conor Timmins and goaltender Devon Levi are still in ened of deals as RFAs.