Ryan Jones re-signs for 2 years…
- Updated: August 10, 2009
Nashville Predators forward Ryan Jones has re-signed.
Jones, who became a restricted free agent on July 1, has reportedly signed a two-year deal worth $975,000/year. It is assumed it’s a one-way deal, which is what the Jones camp specifically wanted, because there is no indication of an AHL salary level.
The Miami-Ohio graduate came to the Preds in the Marek Zidlicky deal with Minnesota last off-season. Once with the big club, Jones tallied 17 points in his 46 NHL games. He showed plenty of promise and determination in his rookie campaign and will now be counted on to play an even bigger role, quite possibly skating alongside David Legwand and Martin Erat on the 2nd line.
Jones essentially exploded out of the gate, scoring five points in his first eight NHL games, but then sort of trailed off into a more occasional contributor throughout the rest of the season with Nashville. During his reassignment in Milwaukee however, Jones went on a tear, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in his 25 games in the AHL, proving he belonged back with the big boys.
Jones has all the necessary tools to be a solid player in the NHL for years to come. He loves to stand in front of the net, he doesn’t mind going hard into the corners and he’s a true competitor. He’s shown he could be a point-per-game player at the collegiate level, he’s shown he could be a point-per-game player at the AHL level and while fans don’t expect him to be a point-per-game player at the NHL level, Jones possesses plenty of offensive capability.
For $975,000/year, the Preds will be happy with what they get out of Jones in return.
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