The Toronto Maple Leafs have strategically solidified their goaltending depth by signing seasoned netminder Martin Jones to a one-year contract worth $875,000. The idea was to add insurance behind Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll, and the Leafs opted for a cost-effective solution that could prove crucial throughout the upcoming season, assuming Jones actually makes it to camp and as an active part of the roster.
Signed to a one-way deal, if Jones doesn’t start the season on the roster, he’ll need to clear through waivers to be assigned to the Toronto Marlies for a later call-up. Like any player going on waivers, there’s a risk here that another team will claim Jones, and the Leafs will have signed him for nothing and be back to square one, looking for a third-string netminder to act as Plan C.
Related: Predicting the Maple Leafs’ Core Four’s Next Contracts
The question becomes, is this really a concern? And, if it happens, are the Maple Leafs going to find themselves in trouble?
Jones Didn’t Play Well Enough to Be Overly Concerned
Jones, previously with the Seattle Kraken and the San Jose Sharks, brings an intriguing mix of performance history. Despite boasting an impressive win/loss record for his former team, his personal performance reached its nadir during the 2022-23 NHL season. Over 48 games, including 42 starts, Jones posted a 27-13-3 record with a 2.99 goals against average (GAA) and a .886 save percentage (SV%). Notably, his save percentage hit a career-low, and a concerning minus-21.4 goals saved above average prompted his departure from the Kraken in free agency, supervised by GM Ron Francis.
In other words, Jones did the job for the Kraken within their system and he picked up wins. But, in many instances, it’s almost as if the team won despite him, instead of because of him. Francis was comfortable letting him walk and teams will be aware of that. Jones’ numbers will act as a big red flag to anyone counting on him via waivers to be their savior, should their franchise need immediate goaltending help.
Jones Wasn’t On Most People’s Radar
The Leafs’ pursuit of Jones raised eyebrows, especially considering the exploratory discussions they reportedly held with Brian Elliott. This move signifies Toronto’s preference for an experienced third-string goaltender but if you read reports from consistent Maple Leafs analysts, Jones wasn’t high on the list of many insiders who wondered what other options the Maple Leafs might explore.
Names like Alex Stalock, Arron Dell, and Michael Hutchinson got more love than Jones, and some of the options posted lower individual stat lines. Was it a case of Jones flying under the radar, or was his recent underperformance a deterrent for his inclusion?
As Joshua Kloke of The Athletic writes:
Yes, we can’t overlook Jones’ numbers recently: His .895 save percentage since the 2018-19 season is 34th among the 34 goalies who have logged at least 150 games in that time, and his .887 save percentage last season — 35th among NHL goalies with a minimum 35 games played — is far from sterling. But the likelihood that Jones logs close to the 48 games he played for the Seattle Kraken last season in 2023-24 with the Leafs feels low.
source -‘Why the Maple Leafs signed veteran goaltender Martin Jones to a 1-year contract’ – Joshua Kloke – The Athletic – 08/09/2023
Kloke adds, “If you’re the Leafs, there’s likely a hope that a reduced workload leads to some improved results. And the comfort level Jones could provide the coaching staff as the likely third goalie in case of injury or one of the Leafs’ other netminders hitting a rough patch is clearly of value.” What does all of this mean for another team that might see an opportunity to pluck Jones off of waivers? Again, if that team is looking to Jones as a solution, they’d better not do so if they need him to play a high number of games.
If The Maple Leafs Lose Jones, They Lose Jones
The waiver landscape will be interesting for the Maple Leafs in October. Joseph Woll or Jones could potentially face waivers, but it makes little sense to expose Woll. He’s got a cheaper contact, a better upside and Jones is not a long-term solution for Toronto. A more probable scenario envisions Jones being picked off, with Scott Wheeler of The Athletic suggesting that Jones might indeed attract a waiver claim.
If that happens, it happens.
Yes, Jones provides value as an insurance policy, but his minutes can be replaced by another veteran third-string goalie, and quite easily. This should alleviate any concerns within the coaching staff that the Leafs won’t have options if Jones is ultimately lost.
