JONES SETTLES IN WITH THE OILERS
Defenceman has put in his time in juniors, AHL, and has clearly earned a roster spot
NHL draft picks are either prospects or projects.
On draft day, prospects are usually first-, second- or third-rounders or kids picked in the top 100. Projects are usually deeper down because scouts weren't totally in love with what they brought to the table. How else would the Oilers have called out Caleb Jones at 117 in 2015?
Then again, Ethan Bear went 124th that year the Oilers got Connor Mcdavid first and John Marino 154th, so lots of scouts should be wondering what they missed or how inexact a science it is picking 18-year-olds.
Bear was one of the NHL'S best rookies last season and Marino, who went to Harvard but read the Oilers depth chart and decided he didn't want to sign here, was the Penguins second-best defenceman last year. He was dealt to Pittsburgh for a song and recently signed a six-year contract.
Right now, Columbus star Seth Jones's brother Caleb is an NHL defenceman.
You can write in No. 82 on Dave Tippett's lineup card with a ballpoint, not a pencil. Jones, who was Charlie Mcavoy's defence partner on the U.S. gold-medal winning world junior team in 2017 in Montreal, clearly is in the Top 6 on the Oilers blueline. Adam Larsson could be his partner.
His learning curve has been like that of most young defencemen — two years in junior in Portland after he was drafted,
122 games in the AHL. This is the first time Jones, 23, has come to an Oilers camp where he hasn't had to scratch and claw to get the coaches' attention.
With Oscar Klefbom done for the season with a bad shoulder, the left side is weaker — although Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov will be in the mix soon. Jones should fill some of Klefbom's minutes, although he has the portability to also play right side, always a plus with coaches if people get hurt.
“Every time you come to camp nothing's guaranteed ... something I learned last year,” said Jones, who got into 17 games in the 2018-19 season and impressed then-coach Ken Hitchcock, but was dispatched to Bakersfield while Bear caught the eye of coach Dave Tippett and stayed.
“I didn't have the start I wanted and got sent down quickly,” he said.
Jones eventually made his way back in November 2019 and played 43 games, fluctuating between seven minutes and 21 minutes per game, and got into two in the play-in round against Chicago after getting COVID and missing time in Phase 3 camp. He asked to tell people on a Zoom call he had contracted COVID, not hiding it, showing his straight-ahead approach.
We're not sure what kind of NHL player Jones will be. He's not Miro Heiskanen. He's not Chris Tanev. Maybe somewhere in between puck rusher and shutdown blueliner. If he turns out to be, say, Devon Toews, just traded to Colorado as left D, that would be ideal.
What Jones is very good at is getting back to pucks quickly and moving it north. He's a good skater, and makes a strong first pass and gets up into the play. And, defensively, he doesn't get trapped very often.
“I'm here to show I can take more minutes, but there's a long ways to go,” he said. “When you're new, you're trying not to make mistakes. I think I'm past that. I just want to make plays and have a good impact.”
He agrees this is his most important camp to solidify the coach's trust.
“I had a call from (Oilers adviser) Paul Coffey in August and he gave me some good advice, and I've talked to my brother,” Jones said.
“Last year, I came to camp and was just worried about defending. I got away from who I am as a player and that's pushing the pace and joining the rush and creating chances. Biggest thing this time around was that I feel comfortable with myself, my teammates, the coaches.”
Tippett knows Jones isn't auditioning even with Klefbom out. He's past that.
“Jonesy is farther ahead of where Ethan was in camp last season,” said Tippett, who has always taken a cautious approach with still-learning defencemen.
“They take time and Caleb looks like a confident NHL player now, not one just hoping he makes the team and when a player gets to that level, you usually get the best out of him. I think he'll take advantage of this opportunity.
“His strength and talent keeps getting better but there's also a maturity to his game now ... the little things that defencemen need, when to push the issue, when to make the simple play and not overdo it. There's a thought process with that and he's improved. He's an NHL defenceman now,” added Tippett.
Playing with Larsson, who plays best when he shows up at the rink in ill-humour with an abrasive defensive behaviour, could be ideal.
“I'm really comfortable with Adam. He's one of the pure shutdown guys and he helps me in my zone and tells me to be myself whenever I see a chance.”