The San Jose Sharks extended the contract of their newly-acquired goaltender, Martin Jones, on Tuesday night according to Kevin Kurz.
https://twitter.com/KKurzCSN/status/616052967171424256
The deal, registering an annual cap hit of $3.0 million over three years, is a calculated risk situation for the Sharks. Jones is relatively unproven, as he has played just 34 games at the NHL level. He previously played for the Los Angeles Kings, serving as the backup to Jonathan Quick.
Jones will be 28-years-old at the end of his term.
The Sharks obtained the Canadian netminder from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick and an unsigned prospect. This occurred just days after Jones was dealt by the Kings, in fear of a potential offer sheet from San Jose.
Jones’s numbers in his small sample size are quite impressive. He earned a combined .923 SV% with the Kings while also posting a 1.99 GAA and seven shutouts. In addition to this, he was a spectacular netminder in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs. While with the club, he recorded a .921 SV%, 2.42 GAA, and 12 shutouts over a 158 game span.
San Jose is now in a situation where they have no established starting goaltender. Neither Jones nor Alex Stalock have played in over 50 games in the league, making both of them unpredictable players. However, the former shows the potential to become a dominant goaltender in the game–a prediction supported by his NHL and AHL statistics.
Trading and signing Jones shows Doug Wilson and the Sharks’ organization investment in the future. It is a gamble, but could pay off in the future.
Keep up with all the free agent signings with The Hockey Writers’ Deal Tracker.
[RELATED: Sharks Take Wise Gamble on Martin Jones]
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