The Toronto Maple Leafs have to thank their lucky stars they signed Martin Jones in the off-season and he cleared waivers early in the season. Without Jones, the Maple Leafs would be in a world of hurt.
The Maple Leafs join a long list of teams in the market for a goalie. And while they comb through a market that does not have many options, Jones is showing his value and worth to the team that maybe they do not need to acquire a goalie because he is the answer the Maple Leafs have been looking for all along.
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With Ilya Samsonov in the minors and Jospeh Woll hurt, Jones has been shouldering the load. He even played a back-to-back against his former club the Los Angeles Kings followed by the Anaheim. Jones looked solid for the Maple Leafs even though Dennis Hildeby was up from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
Earlier in the season, we at NHLRumors.com put together underrated free agent signings. Martin Jones should have on that list. His value cannot be underestimated to a club that is looking to get back to the playoffs and go deep in the playoffs.
Jones has played in 11 games, starting nine of them, and has a record of 7-3 with a 2.08 GAA and .932 save percentage. Those are solid numbers for a third string goalie. Not to mention Jones has two shutouts.
But the Maple Leafs have no belief in Samsonov. So it is Jones’s net to lose. And it’s not like Jones has been chopped liver in the NHL. He is a solid goalie dating back to his days with the Kings.
Last year with the Kraken, Jones split time with Philipp Grubauer playing in 48 games starting 42 games with the record of 27-13-3 and a 2.99 GAA with a .887 save percentage. The save percentage could be better but it is the age of offense in the NHL so the average save percentage is now around .905.
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His best numbers came when he was a member of the San Jose Sharks. He averaged 2.74 GAA and a .905 save percentage during his time with the Sharks. In addition, he took the Sharks to the postseason four of the six seasons he was there averaging 2.30 GAA and .921 save percentage.
During the 2015-16 season, Jones guided the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final where his team fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. Then in the 2018-19 season, Jones brought the Sharks back to the Western Conference.
So Martin Jones has the pedigree to guide the Maple Leafs to the playoffs and be the starter. Right now what other option do they have with Woll out and no faith in Samsonov?
At $875,000 on a one-year deal this is the definition of a value signing in the NHL and sometimes having three goalies in the NHL is a good thing. The Maple Leafs are benefitting from his play. Don’t be surprised he earns the backup job once Woll returns from injury.
