The San Jose Sharks did their homework on goaltender Martin Jones and were prepared to sign him to an offer sheet if he reached restricted free agency last summer, as they figured would happen because they knew the Kings couldn’t afford to keep him.
The Kings, intent on getting good value for the goalie they had developed, instead traded Jones to the Boston Bruins, but the Sharks quickly stepped up and traded a prospect and a first-round pick to the Bruins to pry him away.
Jones’ performance Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, with the Sharks’ season on the line, showed why they wanted him so urgently.