Young Defenseman Becomes Latest New York Rangers to Publicly Call Out Peter Laviolette
The New York Rangers have denied Zac Jones consistent playing time in 2024/25, and now he's let his frustration out on Peter Laviolette following inconsistent playing minutes early in the year despite his solid play.
After a good start to the new season, the New York Rangers season has become an absolute disaster, with the team trading both their captain Jacob Trouba and young forward Kaapo Kakko as a result.
In Kakko's case, he was traded not long after calling out Head Coach Peter Laviolette, and now, defenseman Zac Jones has followed suit, expressing frustration over his current situation to New York Post reporter Larry Brooks.
The situation involving Kakko was then brought up to Jones, who quickly stated that he's not trying to get traded, but is simply expressing his frustration with the situation.
When Jones is given an opportunity, he has played well for the most part in 2024/25, with the 24-year old posting a +2 differential and 8 points in that time, mostly on the third pairing.
The former third-round pick has shown that he's good enough to be a full-time NHLer, but even when he's given a chance this season, it's been in a very limited role, so it's easy to see his frustration.
When asked about the situation, Laviolette understood the frustration, and instead of turning it back on Jones, he stated that he's okay with it.
However, New York are likely to move on from Ryan Lindgren at some point in the near future after already moving Trouba, so the hope for the young blue liner is that he will finally get the time to shine at the NHL level.
