Jaromir Jagr adds scoring punch to Panthers
Jaromir Jagr won't have to worry about ice time with the Florida Panthers. In fact, now he'll get a chance to lead a playoff charge.
A day after expressing his frustration about being phased out of the New Jersey Devils' plans, the 43-year-old was dealt to the Panthers for a second-round pick in the 2015 draft and a conditional third-round pick in 2016. Jagr is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
New Jersey has lacked playmakers this season, and Jagr's point production has suffered. Thus, his 11 goals and 29 points. He immediately provides the Panthers with a legitimate goal scorer for their top-six forward group, where they've used a mix of young players and others better positioned down in the lineup.
Jagr improves one of Florida's biggest weaknesses, as it ranked 25th in goals per game with 2.3 this season. Jagr will also become a focal point on the power play, where he's scored 202 goals in his career, though he has just two this season. Florida has the third-worst power play in the league.
Additionally, Jagr gives a young Panthers team more playoff experience, a trait general managers covet this time of year. The Panthers are two points behind the reeling Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Jagr, who ranks fifth in career points with 1,784, was growing frustrated in New Jersey as he logged under 13 minutes of ice time in two of the past three games. Per NHL.com, since the Devils fired coach Peter DeBoer, Jagr has gotten over 17 minutes of ice time just five times in 22 games.
"The coach is changing, that's what it is," Jagr told reporters Wednesday. "It's not the first time it happened to me and I don't mind it, but there's a history.
"It's not the first time I've been through this; maybe not like this, but I still have confidence in my game."
At 43 and in his 21st NHL season, Jagr is not the peak performer he once was, but he's still an offensive catalyst, spending the majority of his time in the offensive zone. The Devils generated 6.1% more shot attempts with him on the ice, and Jagr had a 51.7% Corsi.
Jagr joins a team with rookie of the year candidate Aaron Ekblad, who is 19 years old. Jagr, a nine-time All-Star, was in his sixth NHL season when Ekblad was born in February 1996.
Jagr has played in 202 playoff games, the last coming with the Boston Bruins in 2013. He has won two Stanley Cups.
The Panthers traded away forward Sean Bergenheim on Tuesday to the Minnesota Wild for a third-round pick in the 2016 draft. New Jersey has the choice of whether to take the Panthers' or Wild's third-round pick. Bergenheim's role diminished and he reportedly wanted out.
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