During this past offseason, the Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Zac Jones to a one-year, two-way contract. While the left-shot blueliner did not appear in a game this regular-season for Buffalo, he simply dominated at the AHL level with the Rochester Americans. In 60 games with the Amerks this campaign, he scored 10 goals and led all AHL defensemen with 62 points. He also led the entire AHL with 52 assists, so it was a monster year for the 25-year-old defenseman. Now, Jones has been rewarded for his huge year with the Amerks. Jones has won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's best defenseman for the 2025-26 season. When looking at the regular season that Jones put together for Rochester, it is hard to argue against him being named the AHL's best defenseman of the year. He provided fantastic offense from the point for Rochester. Jones is a pending restricted free agent heading into the summer. Given how well he has played in the AHL for Rochester, it would not be surprising if the Sabres looked to keep him around for depth.
