Why The New Jersey Devils Don’t Need Jaromir Jagr Anymore
By Phil DeHaven
The New Jersey Devils finished up their three game west-coast road trip by winning two out of three against some very good Pacific Division opponents and without their 2nd highest point leader. Jaromir Jagr has played in 43 of the Devils 47 games this season and has scored 9 goals along with 16 assists. Jagr ($3.5 mil cap hit) will become an unrestricted free-agent at the end of the season and turns 43 in a couple of weeks.
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Jagr has missed the last three games (the entire west coast road trip) while battling the flu, but should be back in the lineup once play resumes after the All-Star Break. With the Devils sitting in 26th in the NHL out of 30 teams, how much value does Jaromir Jagr have left being on the Devils roster? With the team surely to miss the playoffs and potentially be in the running for a high NHL Entry Draft Lottery Pick, the New Jersey Devils don’t need Jaromir Jagr anymore.
When the Devils left for their three game west-coast road trip, I think both myself along with most other fans believed the team had no shot of defeating both the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks without Jagr in the lineup. However after two impressive victories on the road trip, the Devils showed us that maybe they can function without some key players in their lineup.
With that being said, it is very farfetched at this point to still believe the Devils can make the playoffs as the team simply has too much ground to make up in a short amount of time. With Jaromir Jagr still producing and potentially back healthy after the All-Star Break, the Devils need to sell him while his value is at its highest.
For as much as Devils fans and management would like to see the team perform well on the ice, there has to be a point this season where GM Lou Lamoriello decides enough is enough. Younger players such as Reid Boucher and Joe Whitney could use some consistent playing time in the NHL to further their development and trading Jagr at least makes room for one of them.
Jagr has quickly become a fan-favorite in New Jersey with his positive attitude and commitment to trying to get the organization back in the playoffs. There was one quote from Jagr that I’ll always remember from his time in New Jersey.
“I felt it was even more important for me to play on the Devils roster [after Kovalchuk’s NHL retirement].”
With this surely being Jagr’s final season in New Jersey and potentially in the NHL, I will always be grateful for him deciding to come to New Jersey. I feel the organization owes it to him to try to trade him to the team of his choosing to perhaps give him one last shot at a Stanley Cup.
Whether this is his final season in New Jersey or not, on behalf of all Devils fans, thank you Jaromir for everything you’ve done for the organization and the fans.
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