Once Peter Laviolette was officially hired as the new head coach of the Rangers, president and general manager Chris Drury solidified one of the more obvious training camp battles for the sixth defenseman role by signing restricted free agent Zac Jones to a two-year deal worth $1.625 million on Friday.

Aside from whom the 22-year-old defenseman will be competing against for the spot, the start to the 2023-24 season will likely be much of the same for Jones: Fighting for ice time next to Braden Schneider on the third pair.

Instead of Libor Hajek, Jones will be going up against the 6-foot-6, 231-pound Ben Harpur, who joined the Rangers by way of a professional tryout with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

In late October, Harpur signed with the Rangers for the year before he inked a two-year, $1.575 million extension in January.