This article will be another in my series of player profiles, where I’ll look at each player on the San Jose Sharks and assess how their season went. This article will focus on Martin Jones.
I’ve already given my thoughts on Jones in several articles over the past few months. I think it’s clear at this point that the Sharks need a solution in net if they want to be competitive and can’t continue to bet on Jones turning things around.
He had an .896 save percentage for the second season in a row this year and was on the verge of losing the starting job to Aaron Dell. Dell managed to get into 33 games this season, while Jones played in just 41 games.
San Jose’s defense certainly didn’t help Jones a whole lot but an .896 save percentage two years in a row just isn’t acceptable. Having a defense corps that can’t defend and a starter that’s playing at a level far below average makes for a disastrous combination, as we saw this season.
In a poll I did last month, 84 per cent of readers voted that they think Jones’ save percentage would be below a .905 next season, while only six per cent of readers said they think he’ll post a .910 save percentage or higher. While it’s possible Jones bounces back, San Jose simply can’t count on it.
I want to see the Sharks add a quality goalie in free agency like Thomas Greiss or Anton Khudobin, who could potentially take over starter’s duties on a short-term basis. It’ll be quite a difficult task based on San Jose’s cap situation but I’d say it’s a priority for the team at this point. Recently, Jones simply hasn’t been the same goalie he was in his first few seasons with the Sharks.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Do you think Martin Jones will remain with the Sharks until his contract expires in 2024?
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