Ducks draft Max Jones at No. 24
The Anaheim Ducks selected winger Max Jones with the 24th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft on Friday.
Max Jones
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6-3
Weight: 201 pounds
Age: 18
Club: London Knights
Nationality: American
| GP | G | A | P | ES GPG | ES PPG | ES GF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 0.333 | 0.619 | 65.56 |
(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)
Jones has all the tools to be a dominant power winger at the next level: speed, strength, force, big body, heavy shot. Given these traits, and that he possesses some real nasty, Jones is a nightmare for opponents. He was issued a 12-game suspension late in the season for a vicious headshot, and his brazen reaction after the fact.
But what makes Jones such an impact player is his easy stride, top-end wheels, and unrelenting energy, which typically carries his frame straight into the goal mouth. He is a load in the offensive zone, and is relatively shifty.
Jones was relied on to defend on a stacked London Knights team that won the Memorial Cup, an experience that will help him become a useful middle-six winger at the next level.
The Rochester, Mich., native spent a season with the U.S. development program before signing on with the Knights.
With Anaheim having so few forwards signed to long-term contracts, Jones, who already has an NHL frame, could find himself contributing quicker than the majority of first-round selections.