Seattle Kraken: Martin Jones – West is Best
With Philipp Grubauer out of action, Martin Jones becomes the Seattle Kraken's top goalie.
West Coast Works
All the stars aligned for Jones to return to the west coast as soon as the first day of free agency hit this spring when Francis came calling. Jones grew up in North Vancouver, spent his junior playing days in Calgary, and followed it up with playing for two different NHL teams on the West Coast.
There is something about the Pacific Ocean that speaks to Jones. He has embraced his opportunity to gain ice time with the Seattle Kraken, and the team rallies in front of him whenever he plays.
Jones is responsible for all but one of Seattle’s points in the standings this season. While his stat line does not look too attractive right now (3.91GAA and .860 sv%), the bigger picture is how the team in front of him plays.
The Seattle Kraken seem to play with a different kind of energy when he is in the net. Perhaps it’s his ability and willingness to make big saves. Or it could be his presence in the crease that gives players more confidence to block a shot.
The majority of the goals that Jones allowed are not his fault. Odd-man rushes and defensive turnovers often prove costly for a team.
Summary
I don’t know how long Jones will be with the Kraken – my guess is until the trade deadline. If he keeps playing the way he is, the Kraken will be in for a decent mid-round draft pick.
That’s more than the Seattle Kraken could have hoped for when they signed Jones. Pushing toward his 400th career start, you can bet that he wants to be in the crease more than he wants to be on the bench.
With Grubauer’s recent groin injury, expect to see more of Jones through the rest of the month. Hopefully, that translates into more Seattle Kraken “W”s.