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Hockey legend Jaromir Jagr has little (or perhaps nothing) left to prove in the National Hockey League. The 42-year-old winger has done it all. He’s won two Stanley Cups, he’s a 12-time all star, has led the league in scoring five times, and has even won the Hart Trophy in his illustrious 22-year NHL career.
He’s literally just having fun at this point. But here’s the thing… he’s still a pretty damn good player. His team, the New Jersey Devils, however, are not a good team. And naturally, the veteran of over 200 postseason contests has found himself in a situation where he could be traded to a contending club for ‘one final run’. (The idea of ‘one final run’ has to make you laugh ‘cause you know this guy will play ‘til he’s 60.)
Jagr, who’s been traded three times in his career, has ‘no problem’ with a fourth, either.
“It's up to (Devils general manager) Lou (Lamoriello). He knows me. I know him. I've got no problem with (being traded),… Jagr told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review earlier this week. “If he wants to move me, he will. If he doesn't, he doesn't. He knows I like it here, but it's all about whatever is best for the team.…
In a season and a half with New Jersey, the Czech winger has tallied 30 goals and 88 points in 120 games, and is leading the Devils in points this year with a 6-15-21 line in 37 games played. He’s also skating with a $3.5 million cap-hit for this season (though he’s only on the books through this season).
If Jagr’s made available, there’s sure to be interest. From numerous teams, too. But could Boston be among those interested in bringing the winger back to the Hub for the second time in three years? Sure, why not.
It’s clear that the answer to the Bruins’ scoring issues -- especially on the right wing of their first line -- won’t be solved by Seth Griffith or Craig Cunningham. Second-line winger Reilly Smith seems like the preferred fit on the Bergeron line, while the same can be said for Loui Eriksson on the third line with Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg. The B’s just lost winger Matt Fraser (three goals in 24 games this season) to the Edmonton Oilers via the waiver wire, and 2014 first-rounder David Pastrnak is skating with the Czech Republic in the World Juniors and is still a question mark in terms of what he can bring to the Boston Bruins this season.
So while Jagr may not be the answer the Bruins have in a perfect world, it’s probably their best bet.
(And yes, I can almost hear some of you guys groaning from here.)
While Jagr’s first tenure with the Black and Gold came under a heavy fire due to the winger’s inability to find the back of the net (he had just two goals in 33 games between the regular season and postseason), I’d still make the case that he was a successful contributor for the B’s. He usurped Tyler Seguin on the B’s second line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, and still finished sixth among B’s forwards in playoff points even without scoring a goal, finishing the postseason with 10 assists in 22 games.
Almost all of this came without the Kladno-born winger skating on a line with David Krejci. As most Czech kids, too, the 28-year-old Krejci, a fellow Czech who grew up two hours from Jagr’s hometown, idolized No. 68. And Krejci, with five goals and 13 points in 18 games this year, has been a bit more vocal than usual when it comes to his desire to put up points and have a solidified linemate on his right wing.
If ever, this is the year where the stars would align for Krejci and Jagr to skate together. Krejci is a different talent than his left winger, Milan Lucic, in the sense that he doesn’t need a lot to motivate him on a nightly basis, but Jagr’s presence on a line with Krejci could bring the best out of Boston’s No. 46, much like Jarome Iginla did for Lucic last season.
The reality of the situation is still that Jagr will be 43 years old when the puck drops on the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, and that while his conditioning is superhuman-esque, his legs would fade into June.
It could also come back to the Bruins’ unwillingness to spend even more assets on bringing Jagr back to Boston. The initial package sent to Dallas in 2013 hasn’t turned out to destroy the Black and Gold -- Lane MacDermid retired from pro hockey last season while Cody Payne and 2013 first-rounder Jason Dickinson are still playing junior hockey -- but the Bruins would seemingly be even more unwilling to send another potential top-30 pick to a club in exchange for a player born before 1975.
But the Bruins have the youthful pieces to move if that’s the case, too. Given the reemergence of Scott Gomez as a playmaking option for New Jersey (it’s 2015), a player like Alex Khokhlachev (though, again, the Bruins would prefer not to move him) or Ryan Spooner could have value for the Devils, and could be used as trade chips given Boston’s wealth of NHL-level centerman. The B’s also have a number of defensemen that could slide into the Devils’ mix moving forward, especially with veteran blue-liners Marek Zidlicky and Bryce Salvador in the final years of their respective contracts.
Boston wouldn’t be alone in their pursuit of the legendary Jagr, as previously mentioned, but Pittsburgh’s acquisition of David Perron from Edmonton could theoretically take them out of the Jagr sweeps, and allow the Black and Gold to jump back into the driver’s seat, if they so choose.
Above all else though, the Hub still needs a Jagr salute (which they didn’t get on either of his two goals).
‘Cause I mean, if Jagr plays for your team and doesn’t do at least one salute, did it really happen? (No.)
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com