Martin Jones To The Rescue

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, Another 12 goalies were signed to NHL contracts — including Ilya Samsonov post arbitration — before the Maple Leafs got around to finalizing their deal on Jones, some seven weeks after the free agency process began. In all, it took some lost offers, missed opportunities, clarity on the condition of Matt Murray, and a touch of good fortune for the Leafs to sign Jones on Aug. 9 for the same money David Rittich signed for in Los Angeles as the first goalie reportedly signed for on July 1. “We talked for a long time to get a deal done” said Brad Treliving, the Leafs general manager. “Our first reaction after signing him was — ‘great’. Our second reaction was ‘Can we get him through waivers in two months time?’ “It used to be you needed two goalies to get through a season. Now if you look around, you need three.” Jones, the 29th goalie signed last summer in free agency, cleared waivers in October and has since become paramount for the Maple Leafs success. Playing behind a spotty defensive team, Jones ranks second in the NHL in goals against average and second in league save percentage.... “We were surprised he was available to be honest,” said Treliving. “Everybody has their own situation every year, they do the math, they look around, they see what’s available. It’s like playing musical chairs. You count how many seats there are available and there are only two per team.“He told us at the beginning he would be competing for a spot on the Leafs.” more and other notes on hockey