Once again, it looks like the ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr is once again available. Should the New Jersey Devils bring the 45-year-old winger into the fray?
The New Jersey Devils sure could use another forward after a rash of injuries. Marcus Johansson is out for an undisclosed amount of time with a concussion. Taylor Hall is still feeling the effects of a hand injury. Brian Gibbons is out for a while with a broken thumb.
Not only are the Devils injured, they are floundering on the ice. The offense looks flat to say the least. They can’t hold onto the puck, and sometimes can’t even get into the zone. That’s what’s caused this team to drop 10 of their last 12 games.
With all this considered, the Devils may look to add someone to the roster. The biggest name available for free right now is one Jaromir Jagr.
I wrote before the season about how the Devils should say no to a reunion with Jagr. This came after Bleacher Report predicted the Devils would sign him.
Things are different now. The Devils are right in the middle of a playoff race where the entire Metropolitan Division is within a few points of making it or missing the playoffs. That’s crazy this late in the season.
As for Jagr, for the first time in his career he looks old. He only has one goal with the Calgary Flames. It’s never looked like he was a fit from the day he signed right before the season. That’s why the Flames placed him on waivers on Sunday.
However, Jagr still brings something the Devils desperately need; puck control. Jagr still has handles that can go with the best of them. Once he’s in the offensive zone, it’s almost impossible to get the puck off his stick. He can still skate around defenders, even if he can’t skate past them.
But is Jagr the right fit in New Jersey?
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Obviously, Jagr is not the type of player the Devils want for their future. He doesn’t have much time left in the league (or so we think). He has lost a serious step when talking about a 200 foot game. Jagr won’t be chasing after a breakaway chance to stop it. He’s basically a one-pony show.
The issue is, the Devils need that pony. So is it worth it to bring in a guy who does one thing, but does it extremely well?
The thing is, the Devils haven’t lost any players for the season. That means Gibbons, Hall and Johansson will likely come back at some point. That will cause issues if Jagr actually plays well in his return. Also, many will point out the Devils still haven’t called up John Quenneville this season. Picking Jagr off waivers means Q will have to wait that much longer.
It just still doesn’t seem worth it to bring Jagr into the fray at this point. While he brings something to the table, at the end of the day it isn’t worth it.