Maple Leafs Starting Roster Choice Signals Future Leadership

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Hunter Bowman
January 6, 2024 (12:13)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up to take on the San Jose Sharks tonight, and coach Sheldon Keefe just spilled the beans on who's guarding the net.

As revealed by Jonas Siegel from The Athletic, the experienced goalie Martin Jones is getting the nod to start tonight's game. Jones has been turning heads lately, boasting a solid 6-3-0 record in the 9 games he's played with the Maple Leafs this season. His goals-against average (GAA) stands at 2.20, and he's rocking a save percentage of .930.

Now, with Ilya Samsonov down with the Marlies in the AHL, Joseph Woll sidelined, and Dennis Hildeby making moves in the NHL, there's been some goalie-related speculation among Leafs fans.

The big question: would Hildeby make his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks tonight? It seemed plausible, especially considering Jones has been holding down the fort in most recent games. But hold your horses � the Leafs are facing off against the Sharks again on Tuesday. That might be Hildeby's time to shine.

This situation might mean that Jones is set to guard the net until Woll or Samsonov is back in action. Clearly, Sheldon Keefe has faith in Jones, and if he deems him the top dog to defend the Leafs' goal, we might be seeing a lot more of him this season.

It's worth noting that Jones is no stranger to the Sharks. He spent a good six seasons with them, from 2015 to 2021. So, tonight's game is a bit of a homecoming for him.

As seen on: hockeypatrol