The Leafs added another experienced goaltender who can play behind Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll if called upon.
The Leafs added another experienced goaltender who can play behind Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll if called upon.
The Maple Leafs have added another goaltender to the mix.
The club announced on Wednesday that they signed Martin Jones to a one-year, $875,000 contract.
The 33-year-old netminder spent last season with the Seattle Kraken where he posted a 27-13-3 record with an .887 save percentage. He was a mainstay with the San Jose Sharks for six seasons. His tenure with the club started exceptionally well during the 2015-16 season, guiding the club to their first Stanley Cup Final. His play has tailed off since where he hasn't posted a save percentage above .900 in over five seasons.
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Why the Leafs are bringing him in?
The Leafs are adding Jones as insurance to a goaltending tandem that has had a history of injury. Ilya Samsonov is expected to be the team's starting goaltender heading into the 2023-24 season after a standout first year with Toronto. Samsonov missed parts of last season with a knee injury and missed the end of their playoff run with a neck injury and has yet to play more than 44 games in his NHL career. Joseph Woll appears like he could be ready to be a tandem goaltender in the NHL, but his experience in the show is limited to just 11 games over two seasons and one NHL playoff start.
Matt Murray, who is under contract with the Maple Leafs through 2023-24, is out indefinitely with a concussion and will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) to start the season. He doesn't appear to be an option for the club in the short term.
So Jones comes in as an insurance policy.
Can the Leafs keep Jones on their roster?
This will be the biggest question heading into camp. If the Leafs have enough injuries where they are deep in LTIR, it's possible Jones can stay on the club's 23-man roster to start the season without risk. But if everyone is healthy, the Leafs may have to expose Jones to waivers to send him down and one of 31 other teams could claim him. The last time Toronto acquired a third goalie option that used to play for the Sharks was Aaron Dell in October of 2020. He never played a game for Toronto as he was claimed off waivers by the New Jersey Devils a few days into the regular season.
The Leafs know what is at stake, but won't have to worry about that until it's time to cut the roster down. Should something happen to either Samsonov or Woll at camp, Jones is a capable backup.
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