We get it.
Jaromir Jagr is a fan favorite in Florida.
What he has done in his career that continues at age 45 is astounding.
He says he wants to play until he's 50, and he's serious.
Can he do it? By the looks of it there is little doubt.
But the question for Florida's GM Dale Tallon is how much is he worth and for how long in this time of inevitable diminishing returns?
This not to say Jagr is declining rapidly. In fact, he's been a rock on a team that had a rough year offensively.
He finished fourth on the team in points with 46. Considering his linemates Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau missed 72 games combined, Jagr's totals are quite impressive.
Even more astonishing is only 99 players in the NHL played all 82 regular season games this season. Jagr is one of them.
Last year he changed his training regiment and offseason workout program. It is safe to say it paid big dividends for him. He said unlike last postseason he felt great at the end of this year. He joins Vincent Trocheck, Derek Mackenzie, Mark Pysyk, and Keith Yandle as the other Panthers who played in ever game this season.
Clearly if Barkov and Huberdeau were healthy all season Jagr could feasibly have lead the team in points. His current production is not in question.
The slippery slope is if that biological wall is hit and there is a sudden drop in Jagr's game, is there a backup plan? Second or third line minutes? You can't make player decisions based on potential injuries, but if he were to suffer something major his career could be over.
Is that something Tallon needs to consider?
If recent history has shown anything, one-year deals are Tallon's friends when it comes to Jagr. As an unrestricted free agent coming off another solid campaign, might he be inclined to ask for a two or three-year deal to secure some longer term income?
Jagr has made $134,758,666 in his career and has said that is not why he plays the game, but as he looks at his final years a multi-year security blanket might be more comforting than what has recently been a year to year audition.
Has he done enough in a Panther uniform to receive at least two years? The masses would say yes. But at what cost?
Should he take a pay cut from his $4 million salary last season and get more years? Should his representation ask for a raise after having another solid year without his linemates for most of it?
Would two years at $3-3.5 million per get it done?
The Panthers do have other holes to fill. Tallon surely wants to get tougher as a team while adding another pure scorer.
If you look at some of the intriguing free agent right wings on the market, a couple stand out.
While he has said he wants to return to Montreal, Alexander Radulov could be an interesting option for the Panthers in an expanded role. He has had a roller coaster type career but has the tools to be a star in the right situation. His 54 points in 76 games this season make him intriguing.
Not as intriguing as T.J. Oshie.
He was given first line minutes in Washington and all he did was score 33 goals in 68 games on his way to 55 points.
Yes he played with very skilled forwards in Washington, but are they clearly better than Barkov and Huberdeau? Not a chance.
Oshie would be more expensive, but at 30 years old is a player that could be invested in long term without much apprehension. He's coming off his best goal-scoring year by far and has been relatively durable over the last four seasons.
This is not to say Jagr isn't the best option at a cheaper price tag along with the intangibles he brings to the locker room with his mentorship.
Perhaps another avenue would be to try to package Reilly Smith in a deal that would make room to snag Oshie as the top line RW of the future and keep Jagr as well.
Regardless of public outcry Tallon needs to consider dependable, long term, available offensive help while weighing a year to year option like Jagr.
These things as well as the looming head coaching decision are likely the reasons why a deal hasn't been signed yet.
Both Jagr and the Panthers have expressed some desire to get something done, but there are several balls in the air right now.
Jagr has been a tremendous addition to the Panther organization and the odds are good he remains in Florida for at least another year.
But could Tallon be blamed for doing some window shopping on younger, budding talent? Oshie and Radulov are both 30 years old. It's amazing to think they are technically nearing the end of their primes while Jagr keeps producing at 45.
With current fitness and health regiments players are extending their careers. In the right situations they are also showing they may be capable of more than they were given credit for in the past.
Could players like Radulov or Oshie become candidates for the upgrades Tallon is looking for?
Is it better to sign Jagr, keep the status quo, and hope a new coach can get them back to where they were two years ago?
Tallon has some interesting decisions to make. Emotion cannot play into such things, regardless of the fan passion to keep old man Jagr around.
He admittedly is a step slower than most of the players he plays against. That won't improve.
Does what he currently brings to the table enough to risk for the sake of unity?
Dan Spiegel
Credentialed Florida Panthers Media
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