On Christmas Eve, a rumor popped up on Twitter about the Edmonton Oilers having interest in winger David Jones, who is currently a free agent. Now, I’d embed the tweet below but the account is now protected and unfortunately it’s not possible for me to do that.
The twitter user, Joshua Marshall (@JMarshyBosco93), tweeted that the club is in on the veteran right winger, this coming moments after indicating that the Oilers would be interested in re-signing D Kris Russell and that talks would soon begin. I’m not getting into the Russell tweet here, and I’m not even saying he is right, but I’ll touch on David Jones.
It’s very well possible that this is just someone throwing something at the wall and seeing if it sticks. Why am I talking about it? Because it’s an interesting scenario that I can actually see playing out.
The Boxcars:
David Jones became an NHL regular in 2010-11 with the Colorado Avalanche, this coming after three seasons as a bottom of the roster option for the club. He registered 27-18-45 in 77 games during that breakout campaign, which saw him become a solid top nine option.
He posted 37 points in 72 games during the 2011-12 season, but then struggled during the lockout shortened 2013 season, only tallying nine points in 33 games. That off-season, he was shipped to the Calgary Flames, where he would play until the 2016 trade deadline when he was shipped to Minnesota.
Jones had seasons of 17 (48 games), 30 (67 games) and 15 (59 games) points with the Flames, making him a bottom six option for the club during his almost three seasons in red. With the Wild, he scored 2-1-3 in 16 games and saw action in six (0-1-1) playoff tilts.
The Scouting Report:
Jones’ scouting report via The Hockey News:
| ASSETS: |
|---|
| Plays a well rounded game with streaky offensive acumen, so he can be used as a top-six forward. Has size and decent hands. Is usually a very reliable player in the NHL. |
| FLAWS: |
| Does not use his 6-3, 208-pound frame nearly enough to his advantage, and generally lacks physicality and aggression. Is somewhat prone to injury, too. |
| CAREER POTENTIAL: |
| Veteran winger. |
Looking at his boxcars in recent seasons, I’m not sure I’d agree with the assumption that he can be used as a top six forward. He hasn’t been able to produce offense for about two years now, and would certainly need some time to get up to speed. I’d think best case scenario is he can produce like a third liner.
He does have the size that Chiarelli and McLellan love, and he is a veteran player who has playoff experience, the kind of player those two both like to have on the roster. Lacking physicality is a huge strike against Jones, especially if he’d be replacing the productive Tyler Pitlick in the lineup.
Final Thoughts:
Adding a veteran like David Jones is compelling because he has produced in the NHL and he’s a big bodied veteran. Throughout his tenure in Boston, Peter Chiarelli would find guys like this and plug them into his lineup during the course of a season. It honestly wouldn’t be a surprise if Edmonton was looking at this player.
Would signing him be a bad move? I can’t say that for certain. There are positives to Jones’ game and he could be a useful forward in the bottom six. That said, I don’t think he can slide in behind Jordan Eberle and provide cover at that spot on the right wing depth chart.
I’d prefer, if Edmonton hangs around the playoff race, that the club looks for trade options. Radim Vrbata, Jarome Iginla, Lee Stempniak and Brian Gionta would have the same or a greater impact on the lineup and could be available in just a few weeks.
David Jones is a decent option for Edmonton to consider, but the club should be focused elsewhere if they want to add depth to the right wing depth chart.
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