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When the Calgary Flames made a play for Patrick Sharp in free agency, it was a clear signal they wanted to add another established forward to help them contend this season.
They swung and missed on Sharp -- he returned to Chicago for pennies -- and, to this point, have not added the forward they were reportedly looking for.
Some may point to Spencer Foo but, if he makes the team, he'll probably play a depth role and isn't likely to move the needle all that much.
If the Flames are still in the market for someone who could make a legitimate impact, Jaromir Jagr is available and apparently having difficulty finding a job.
Excerpt via NHL.com:
Jaromir Jagr said Wednesday he wasn't expecting it to be so difficult to sign with an NHL team this offseason.
"The most serious negotiations I have are with Kladno. Because Kladno has a smart owner who knows what he wants," joked Jagr, who owns the team in Czech Republic's second-tier professional league. "No, really, I don't have a clue. I leave it all on my agent [Petr Svoboda]. There is a couple of [NHL] teams that showed interest, but nothing specific yet."
Let's say the Flames re-sign Sam Bennett for $2.6 million and Brett Kulak for $900K. That would leave the Flames ~$3.6 million to work with for one roster spot.
Based on the fact it's August and Jagr still doesn't have a job, I think it's fair to assume that'd be more than enough to get him inked.
I know there are concerns about Jagr's foot speed but he wasn't exactly a burner last year and that didn't stop him from being a very effective player.
As a 45-year-old, Jagr averaged more 5v5 points per 60 than the likes of Ryan Kesler, Alex Galchenyuk, David Krejci, Derek Stepan and Alex Radulov, among many others.
He also posted fantastic underlying numbers -- 55.8 Goals For%, 54.9% Corsi For% -- and the Florida Panthers were significantly better with him on the ice than without.
If the Flames were to sign Jagr, this is what their top-9 could look like:
Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Micheal Ferland
Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik
Kris Versteeg - Sam Bennett - Jaromir Jagr
That would leave the likes of Mark Jankowski, Matt Stajan, Troy Brouwer, Curtis Lazar, and Foo fighting for 4th line positions/the opportunity to move up when inevitable injuries arise.
I think that would give them a forward core good enough to contend, especially when you consider the caliber of the defensemen playing behind them.
Whether the Flames end up signing Jagr, or even expressing interest, remains to be seen, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest he'd make them a better team.
Recent posts:
On Versteeg, Brodie, and power play shooting
On Gaudreau and Bennett
Kulak should replace Bartkowski on the 3rd pairing
Smith could be a more than adequate solution for the Flames
On Ferland, raising the ceiling, and the potential to add more
On Valimaki and his lofty goal of making the Flames out of camp
The Flames shouldn't bring back Iginla
Jagr could be a fit for the Flames
Breaking down the Travis Hamonic trade
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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