Can someone wake me when Jagr actually signs somewhere? Because until then, I could care less.
For all the speculation and hype surrounding our next veteran savior, it doesn’t mean a damn thing until he signs the bottom line. And even then, it probably makes little difference.
Jaromir Jagr wants to return to the NHL – where he burned bridges with the fans of the teams he played for – and is talking to three teams for now, the Penguins, Red Wings, and an unnamed team. What, only three? I guess he commands this kind of interest. Obviously, Jagr isn’t going to come back to play for a team that doesn’t look like a contender, so the list makes sense, even if it is short. So let’s take a look at how he would fit on those teams:
Penguins:
The Penguins are appealing to just about every player for two words: Crosby and Malkin. I can see why Jagr would want to go back to the city he was viciously booed in after he left, to play with these two guys. And the complaint is that Crosby and Malkin need someone to play with. But Jagr, as skilled as he is, isn’t getting any younger, or any faster. It wouldn’t be long before he’s opening the gate for them and watching them play from the end of the bench.
This is where the internet wants to point out some goal that Jagr scored in Russia, or the Olympics, or in Jose Theodore’s driveway. And it doesn’t matter. A broken clock is right twice a day. He can score a goal or two, sure. But time is not on his side, and the Pens, they have nothing but time.
The Penguins have enough cap space, if Jagr doesn’t mind not making $6 million. And they need forwards badly (Capgeek.com says they have 9 forwards signed for almost $32 million), so overall, this wouldn’t be a bad fit. Heck, I think it would be hockey comedy gold. But if Jagr is skating on the top two lines by mid-season, I’ll be shocked. Or it’s a testament to a lack of depth in the Penguins system, which isn’t that shocking either. But hey, at least NBC wouldn’t have to embarrass themselves by pumping Jordan Staal as the big player of the Pens when Crosby and Malkin are injured.
Red Wings:
Yep, another older guy signing a one year contract with the Red Wings. When is the cycle going to end ? I understand players wanting to go out in a blaze of glory with a team that makes the playoffs every year, and rarely gets eliminated in the first round. But restocking the Detroit Old Folks Home is becoming an annual event of insanity. Jaromir Jagr is to Mike Modano as Mike Modano is to Mike Modano. Do you see the math there? That isn’t a compliment.
The Red Wings are like the Penguins: they have their core, and then plug in players around that core. It’s not a bad strategy, if your core is good enough. And for both teams, it mostly is (I’d give the edge to the Red Wings here, as their core seems to have a more complete game than the Penguins core). But while the Penguins will pick up any loose change to fill their roster, the Red Wings seem to want only the over-35 crowd. If Ken Holland has to tell you to get of his lawn, then you aren’t going to play for him.
The Red Wings have a lot of cap space, but they need defensemen more than forwards right now (this is just going by players signed, not way in depth analysis). They could use a few forwards (Capgeek.com shows 12 forwards signed at $32 million), but Detroit has shown that they have depth the Penguins do not. And players don’t mind taking a pay cut to play in Detroit, since they always are a contender. Would Jagr be a good fit? The bigger question is, does Detroit need Jagr?
Unnamed team:
Please let it be Winnipeg. Please let it be Winnipeg. Please let it be Winnipeg.
That’s just my opinion on the Jagr thing. In the end, he isn’t going to carry a team on his back, partly because he isn’t in that kind of shape, and partly because he never has in the past. And if he isn’t going to do that, what’s the big deal? What makes people think he’s going to have an impact now, when he didn’t have an impact when he left the NHL? A formerly great player who went to the KHL for a reason, coming back to the NHL to make a final run at a Cup? I’ll try to get excited when his skates touch the ice.