In the seemingly small pond that is high-level hockey and the shallow puddle that is Western Conference goaltenders, it seems unlikely that the Kraken’s Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones wouldn’t have had a chance to get to know each other.
Grubauer has played against Jones’ teams for about a decade but said they’d barely talked. Part of training camp for them is establishing the chummy, yet competitive, relationship between a team’s goalies.
“Grubi seems like a pretty easy guy to do that with,” Jones said.
Netminders can often be seen chatting on the bench during media timeouts, offering tips and observations. But if one’s thriving, that usually means the other isn’t seeing a lot of ice time.
Jones spent two seasons backing up Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles and won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014. He found a starting gig in San Jose and appeared in at least 60 games, winning at least 30 of them, each season from 2015-19. He was an All-Star in 2017.
“He’s a really good goalie and always fun to watch,” Grubauer said.
In San Jose, Jones went 170-121-37 with a 2.66 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and 18 shutouts in 327 games, plus a run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. The ending was harsh, with the Sharks buying out the final three seasons of his six-year contract in 2021.
Jones’ workload was heavy — his 325 starts were the most in the league since his arrival in San Jose — and Sharks general manager Doug Wilson theorized to NHL.com that Jones “hit that wall.”
Jones signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers the next day. He backed up Carter Hart to the tune of 33 starts in Philadelphia. He had a 3.42 goals-against average but his best save percentage (.900) in four seasons. The Flyers embarked on a 10-game losing streak in November and finished second to last in the Eastern Conference.
It was a trying season, Jones said, but he’s seeing forward motion. Fresh start, Take 2, this time in Seattle.
“I think I’m real close to getting back to having some of the seasons I had early in San Jose,” Jones said in August. “It’s been a good summer. I feel I’m ready to go.
“I’m going to push as hard as I can to play, push [Grubauer] as hard as I can.”
He’s a few hours from where he was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, which factored into his decision to sign a one-year, $2 million deal with the Kraken on the first day of free agency. His father, Harvey, is a longtime employee of Canucks Sports and Entertainment.
He and Grubauer got to know each other last week, and both are working with new goaltending coach Steve Briere. The goaltending group got some solo work in between group practices Friday at Kraken Community Iceplex, working on clears and handling shots through screens.
Jones will familiarize himself behind a new defense and try to adjust to the looks he’s seeing.
“Just kind of hearing the guys’ voices, a little bit, before we get into games is important,” he said.
At 32, Jones’ role has shifted.
“I’m getting older,” Jones said, chuckling. “That’s kind of the next evolution of my career, I guess, being more of a leader and helping some of these young guys along.”
Things could get interesting when last year’s backup, Chris Driedger, who is recovering from knee surgery, is expected to return in the second half of the season. He had the surgery in June and was expected to miss seven to nine months. The Kraken also have Joey Daccord ready to step in. Daccord made four starts, all losses, last season with a 4.30 goals-against average.
Driedger posted a 9-14-1 record with a 2.96 GAA, .899 save percentage and one shutout while missing time due to injury. Grubauer’s numbers were worse — 3.16 and .889, respectively — and he hinted at, but didn’t name, technical alterations made in the offseason.
A little backup never hurt. Whoever he is.