Max Jones’ bruising brand of hockey should make him a popular figure on Bruins

“I kind of like to play the game with my hair on fire."

Max Jones didn’t mince words when asked about his approach on the ice.

“Big, strong, fast,” Boston’s free-agent pickup acknowledged earlier this month. “I kind of like to play the game with my hair on fire a little bit — just kind of, ‘go, go, go.’ I think the more I get invested in a game and the more my heart rate gets up, the more effective I can be. I think that just makes it easier for me to cement my playing style into a game each and every night.”

Such a scouting report should serve as music to the ears of Bruins fans — considering the fastest avenue toward their collective heart lies in a few bone-crunching hits against the glass.

The 26-year-old Jones didn’t steal many headlines on the first day of NHL free agency on July 1 — especially when weighed against Boston’s other top signings in Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.

Still, the former Ducks forward stands as an intriguing add for a Bruins team expected to roll out a checking unit littered with fleet-footed, physical skaters.

With Jones — a former first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft — the Bruins also might be banking on even more upside in a more defined, bottom-six role.

“Max has been an intriguing player, not just because of where he was drafted, but the size of the player, the ability to forecheck, the ability to possess pucks,” Don Sweeney said of Jones. “He’s shown a willingness to get to the net, can he finish a little bit more if he’s pushed up the lineup and play with guys, that’s what we’re going to find out in terms of Max.

“But he just plays both sides, the possession game that [coach Jim Montgomery] wants to have, creates a little more anxiety, to tell you the truth, with arriving on time on the forecheck is a big part of the identification of several of these players.”

Jones — who inked a two-year contract with Boston with an annual cap hit of $1 million — should be advertised as a north-south thumper who can make an impact on the forecheck.

Despite his 6-foot-3, 216-pound frame, Jones can close in on opposing skaters in short order — which could make him a strong addition to a fourth line that could roll out several other big bodies in Johnny Beecher (6-foot-3, 216 pounds), Justin Brazeau (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) and Mark Kastelic (6-foot-4, 226 pounds).

Jones only appeared in 52 games with Anaheim last season due to several injuries, but still managed to land 127 hits — which would have ranked fifth among Bruins forwards last season.

He also has a knack for getting under the skin of opponents. Of the 688 NHLers last season who logged at least 300 minutes of ice time, Jones ranked fifth in that pool with 2.11 penalties drawn per 60 minutes of play (per Natural Stat Trick).

(For those keeping tabs, Kastelic actually ranked first last season among those 688 players with 2.59 penalties drawn per 60.)

“Possessing pucks, forecheck, getting pucks back, going to the net, creating a little bit of havoc around the net,” Jones said of his talents on the ice. “I think playing up and down the lineup is something that I can do. … But I try to stick to my core values of being a big, strong, fast, heavy player.”

Even though Jones is more suited for a fourth-line role, he could provide a bit more scoring pop in that spot on the depth chart. He managed to chip in with 15 points over his 52 games last season, and added 19 points over 69 games in 2022-23.

But a 20-plus-point showing would simply be icing on the cake for the Bruins when it comes to Jones, who should be able to ingratiate himself to the TD Garden crowd in short order just by playing to his strengths.

“I definitely know what kind of player I am and what I need to be,” Jones said. “I mean, that’s the whole reason I was drafted in the first place back when I was 18. I don’t think my game has changed much since I was a kid. I think that the situation, or the opportunity that I’ve had may have been a little different. But it’s a fresh start.

“And obviously, with a great organization, a great team and a great culture. It’s something that I’m kind of just coming in with fresh eyes, kind of being a sponge, learning about everyone and learning about the way they go about their business on and off the ice and just play my game.”