Leafs Insider discloses plans for Martin Jones
The veteran goaltender has posted respectable numbers in his 1st year in Toronto.
HockeyFeed
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been having to make do with the tandem of Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov thanks to the injury to Joseph Woll.
Despite struggling mightily for most of the season and eventually being waived, Samsonov has enjoyed a nice rebound performance in his last three outings, giving the Leafs hope that he may have rediscovered his game.
And while the return of Woll is still a ways off, the Leafs will be bringing him back to action before too long, and will be left with a decision to make.
Jones' future with the Leafs was one of the subjects that Leafs Insider Luke Fox covered during his latest question and answer Leafs Mailbag piece.
"Question: Luke, what do you think the Leafs should do once Joseph Woll returns? Seems a challenge to carry three goalies."
"Answer: For sure, the three-headed crease is never ideal, but a handful of teams have already used that strategy to guard against waivers this season. And the Maple Leafs may well do the same.
It's not as if third-stringer Martin Jones — very much at risk of getting scooped off the wire at $875,000 — needs to eat up starts with the Marlies, and Toronto would prefer to give that work to prospects Dennis Hildeby and Keith Petruzzelli anyway.
A week ago, I would've predicted that Ilya Samsonov could clear again, but his week of focused solitude was like Luke Skywalker's trip to Dagobah, and suddenly, he's the second coming of Martin Brodeur.
Toronto is going to be extra cautious not to rush Woll back from his high-ankle sprain, and as long as the team keeps winning, that pressure goes away.
Woll only counts $766,667 against the cap, so this won't be a financial issue.
It's more about Jones dealing with some awkwardness, and he's been a pro about his status all season long."
In his first season with the Leafs, Jones has amassed a respectable record of 9-6-1 with a 2.64 goals against average and .911 save percentage along with a pair of shutouts. Would the Leafs be better off keeping him on the roster and once again waiving Samsonov, or vice versa?
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