Jaromir Jagr will play at least one more season in the NHL, and it will be in New Jersey.
Jagr and the Devils have agreed to a one-year contract that could pay up to $5.5 million if he reaches his bonuses, which depends on the amount of games he plays.
Jaromir Jagr's base salary will be $3.5 million for next season with bonuses (games-played) that could bring it to $5.5 million.
— Rich Chere (@Ledger_NJDevils) April 30, 2014Jagr led the Devils in points with 67, as well as in assists, shots and game-winning goals at the age of 42. He was very consistent this season, as this graph indicates.
Jagr has went on record saying he'd like to play in the NHL as long as he can because he's thoroughly enjoying it, but he also said he'd like to continue signing one-year contracts to stay motivated. That helps explain why he once again signed for just one season.
The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer fit in like a glove in New Jersey, and is a big fan of Pete DeBoer and his system.
Jagr showed support for DeBoer at the end of the year, and did so again when talking to a member of the Czech media (translated via PuckDaddy): "We have the perfect coach, which is quite hard, but he understands hockey, which is very important."
That's very strong praise from an NHL legend, and it's probably fair to say DeBoer's return played a big factor in Jagr signing on for another season.
Given some big contracts are coming off the books - namely Martin Brodeur's $4 million cap hit - the Devils will have plenty of cap space to play with this summer, especially if they use a compliance buyout on Anton Volchenkov, so paying up for Jagr won't put them in a tight situation.
The next big task on Lou Lamoriello's to-do list is getting Cory Schneider locked up, which won't come cheap.
It's a good thing the Devils have new owners who are willing to spend.
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