Leafs had hidden clause in Martin Jones' contract to stop waiver claim

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Liam
October 9, 2023 (3:14 PM)

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On Sunday, 40 players passed through waivers from their respective teams, with an eye on the opening night rosters being set for this week. Yesterday was the last day to use the waiver wire and have players clear before the regular season rosters must be set, the deadline for which is today.

One of the more significant names on waivers yesterday was goaltender Martin Jones, now with the Leafs organization. It wasn't a surprise to see Jones on waivers, with many expecting the Leafs to go with Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll as the goaltending tandem this year.

Jones would be a solid option for many teams to claim on waivers after a successful last season in Seattle, and after passing through waivers yesterday, a hidden clause in Jones' contract was revealed that made him a little harder to claim on waivers.

According to a report from NHL insider Chris Johnston, Jones is owed a bonus of $100,000 on Tuesday, strategically planned by the Leafs to be set for this day, deterring other teams from claiming him.

"Of note with veteran #leafs goaltender Martin Jones currently on waivers: Any team putting in a successful claim will owe him a $100,000 bonus payment tomorrow.

The timing of that bonus was structured into the $875,000, one-year contract he signed in August." Johnston said.

Now 33 years old, Jones appeared in three preseason games with the Maple Leafs, allowing only four goals on 62 shots. His best performance came against the Montreal Canadiens, allowing just one goal on 34 shots.

Now that Jones has cleared waivers, it looks like Treliving's contract clause worked in preventing a waiver claim.