Pittsburgh Penguins: Is Jaromir Jagr Really an Option?
Looks like a new rumour has emerged for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and this one brings a familiar face to the forefront.
There have been new ideas about a former player hopefully re-joining the Pittsburgh Penguins. That player is the great former Penguin, Jaromir Jagr.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jagr played for the Penguins from 1990 to 2001. After that he was signed with Washington, spent seasons with the Rangers, Flyers, Stars, Bruins and Devils, as well as time in the KHL. And now the Florida Panthers have left him as a free agent.
Well now, according to Fan Rag Sports, the idea of adding Jaromir Jagr to the Penguins roster as a midseason addition could be one the team considers.
But is Jagr someone we really need, even if it’s for half a season? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Depth
In the article, Dave Holcolmb discusses how much depth Jagr could provide. Even at his old age, he just finished a season with the Panthers in which he didn’t miss a single game. That’s impressive.
But his age is still a sign of wear and tear, and it’s a very high risk to sign a guy like him. If he gets injured, that’s just cap space down the drain instead of depth. I don’t think that’s a good chance to take and I’d much rather the Penguins avoid that. I mean, yes we had a bad stretch of injuries last year, but we were able to manage.
Retiring 68
Here’s an interesting pro that I’ve been thinking about if we sign Jagr.
He can retire as a Penguin. Pittsburgh is where he started his historic career. He spent more time here than with any other team. During his tenure in our city, he achieved two Stanley Cup wins, five Art Ross Trophies, a Hart Trophy and several All-Star nods. This time was obviously outstanding and was the highlight of his entire career.
Think about it. We know retirement is imminent for Jagr. What better place to end your career? If he retires here, despite all the teams he played for, we will be able to retire his number. As a team, we should claim him as one of our best players.
Final Verdict
In the end however, I think there’s just no point in adding Jagr. We only have $3 million in cap space and he doesn’t fit our needs. Right now we are on the hunt for a third-line centre. That’s just what we need, and Jagr doesn’t fit that role.
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It would be nice to sign Jagr but it’s just not important. We have better things to spend cap on, even if he is a midseason pickup. Let’s stay the course and not take a risk on him.