He’s a power forward, who spent two years in the US national development program before making his way to London to play for Dale Hunter’s Knights. His father Brad played six NHL seasons, traveling between the Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers. And his blazing speed and mean streak make him an appealing choice at this year’s draft.
Here’s the skinny on 2016 NHL prospect Max Jones.
Age on June 24: 18
Current Team: London Knights
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 200 pounds
From: Rochester, MI.
Twitter: @Jones_Max19
NHL Central Scouting Rank (North America): 14th
Jeff Marek’s Take: Big, strong, has a scoring touch and is aggressive on the forecheck. Is an excellent penalty killer.
HE PUTS THE ‘POWER’ IN POWER FORWARD
Separation speed? Check. Gets to the net? Check. Knows how to finish? Check. Rough? Check.
That description may have you thinking about L.A. Kings forward Milan Lucic, which is a good place to start when comparing draft eligible Max Jones to a current NHLer.
“[He is a] hard-hitting player who plays the game with an edge,” Dan Marr of NHL Central Scouting told Joe Yerdon of NHL.com in February. “[He has a] very good shot with a quick release. [He] loves to take the puck to the net and has good hands in tight.”
A WHOLE LOT OF NASTY
Jones has an edge to his game and, sometimes, he crosses the line. Obviously, this isn’t the best example of what kind of a physical player he wants to be at the next level.
Jones took a ton of heat for laughing his way off the ice after this. Deservedly so.
He wasn’t laughing when the OHL suspended him for 12 games while the Knights were in the midst of pursuing a league championship and a chance to hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup.
Earlier in the year, Jones narrowly escaped suspension for this hit on Guelph Storm forward Jacob Harris.
Jones recorded 106 penalty minutes in 63 games for London this season, and he recorded 116 penalty minutes in just 24 USHL games a year ago. NHL scouts will hope he has the discipline and composure to play within the rules as he moves up in his career.
Some teams will undoubtedly be intrigued by a player with Jones’ size and a mean streak to go along with his offensive capabilities.
FOLLOWING IN DAD’S FOOTSTEPS
Brad Jones was a scrappy NHLer who accumulated 25 goals in 148 games. He played hard, mixed it up, and wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves.
“He obviously knows what the power forward role is,” Max said about his father back in February. “He teaches me the aspects of the game that I don’t have.”
Brad had this to say about Max back in September: “He’s a lot better skater, and he’s a lot faster than I was.”
HOW DOES HE MATCH UP AGAINST HIS PEERS?
Jones had 28 goals and 24 assists in 63 games with the Knights this season, which was a big step up from the five goals and four assists he managed in 21 games as a member of the USNTDP team in the USHL a season prior.
Central Scouting ranks him as the 14th-best North American prospect and he has been overshadowed this year by teammates Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs prospect), Christian Dvorak (Arizona Coyotes prospect), Matthew Tkachuk (projected top-5 pick in 2016) and Olli Juolevi (projected top-10 pick in 2016).
In the USHL last season, Jones was teammates with fellow first round NHL draft prospects Tkachuk and Auston Matthews. While those two were both top four in team scoring, Jones struggled to put points on the board, but was easily the team leader in penalty minutes.
Clearly, it will be key for Jones to improve his discipline as he develops, and continue becoming a better offensive player.
