The San Jose Sharks emphatically disappointed fans this season. After making the Western Conference Final in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, many thought the Sharks would easily be a top-end team this year, even with a handful of off-season losses. Instead, the Sharks ranked dead-last in the Western Conference when the league was put on pause; third-to-last in the entire league. It was a terrible year, topped with more consistently poor play from starting goaltender Martin Jones.
Jones has continuously failed the Sharks. With not much talent coming from the team’s goaltending prospect pool either, the Sharks will soon become a team to consistently bet against, something made better with a special Draftking offer.
The San Jose Sharks Goalies are Trouble
The Horror of Martin Jones
Jones was brought into San Jose in June of 2015. He was traded to the Sharks from the Boston Bruins, who flipped the goalie only four days after acquiring him from the Los Angeles Kings. In the following season, Jones quickly established his reliability. He set a 37-23-4 record, with a strong .918 save percentage. He kept this up for the proceeding two years, tallying a .912 and .915 save percentage respectively.
Then, he crashed. During the 2018-19 campaign, Jones looked entirely inconsistent and unreliable: setting a .896 save percentage and 2.94 goals-against-average. He was luckily saved by a Sharks lineup that ranked second in goals-for through the season, helping keep the Sharks afloat.
This season, that amazing goal-scoring ability dissipated. Almost every player on the Sharks had significantly fewer points, leaving the team subject to what is truly terrible defensive play, backed by hardly-backup-quality goaltending. Jones’ true colors finally showed through, leading the goalie to a terrible 17-21-2 record and a .896 save percentage.
No Light at the End of the Tunnel
Poor goaltending is somewhat of a trend for San Jose. While Aaron Dell has been a mediocre backup, the team doesn’t have much of anything in their prospect pool. Their best youngster is definitely Zachary Edmond, a 19-year-old currently playing in the QMJHL. Edmond was drafted by the Sharks in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, following a shaky rookie season. He went 9-10-3 that year, setting a pretty poor .897 save percentage. The following season, though, he seemed to breakout. He set a perfect record of 24-0-0, with a league-best .932 save percentage. It was an amazing performance that left many wondering if he’d be the newest no-name goalie to burst onto the scene.
But it was all for naught it seems. Edmond struggled again this year: his first year with a full workload. He set a bleak 25-23-2 record, with a ‘meh’ .908 save percentage to back it up.
These poor numbers could surely be the product of a heavier workload catching the goalie off guard but it could also shine a light on inconsistent tendencies from the young netminder. If you are to bet on a future, make sure to use a BetMGM promotional offer. The best option in the Sharks prospect pool is still surrounded with uncertainty and doubt, likely spelling doom for the team if they aren’t able to reel in more promising goalies. That’s yet to be seen, though. For now, San Jose is stuck relying on an ever-worsening Jones and a bleak prospect pool: a definite recipe for failure.
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