SAN JOSE – Los Angeles backup Martin Jones was near the top of the Sharks’ list of potential replacements for five-year starter Antti Niemi, according to general manager Doug Wilson. Problem was, there was no way the Kings’ Dean Lombardi was going to send the highly regarded 25-year-old to a division rival.
Whether Wilson and the Boston Bruins conspired on a deal that would eventually see Jones land in the Bay Area is unclear -- Wilson indicated that wasn’t the case in a conference call on Tuesday –- but it makes little difference now. The goaltender that Wilson said he was jonesing for (pun intended) is now his new starter.