Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
Last year, John Gibson won tournament MVP leading Team USA to the U-18 WJC to gold. Who will step up this year?
Starting tomorrow, Team USA hosts National Junior Evaluation Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. The defending IIHF U-18 World Junior Champs have invited 44 players to participate. It runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 10 and includes games against participants Canada, Finland and Sweden.
USA has split the 44 players into two rosters. Team Blue features Devils’ prospect Stefan Matteau, the Rangers’ Brady Skjeiand 2013 Sabres’ second round pick Justin Bailey. Washington prospect Riley Barber is also included from last year’s gold medal team. He posted three goals and three assists. They’re coached by Greg Brown and former Devils’ assistant Kurt Kleinendorst.
Buffalo ’13 second rounder J.T. Compher, New Jersey ’13 second round pick Steve Santini, 2013 Islanders’ third round pick Taylor Cammarata and Rangers’ 2012 second rounder Cristoval Nieves help comprise Team White. The roster also features Coyotes’ ’12 first round pick Henrik Samuelsson and Calgary goalie prospect Jon Gillies, who backed up John Gibson on last year’s championship roster. Defenseman Pat Sieloff also returns from last year’s gold medal club. They’re coached by Bob Motzko and Jon Cooper.
In an irony of sorts, Zach Stepan is also on Team White. The last name should be recognizable to Ranger fans who are still waiting for top center Derek Stepan to get re-signed. Zach is the younger cousin of Stepan. Nashville selected him in the fourth round of the ’12 Draft 112th overall. For those curious, he also plays center and is similar in stature (5-11, 175). Stepan is left-handed and completed his first season with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL tallying 78 points (32-46-78) in 56 games. Like his more famous older cousin, he’s from Hastings, Minnesota. The previous two years, he played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s which produced stars Sidney Crosby and Zach Parise along with Derek Stepan. At the very least, it’ll be interesting to follow the younger Stepan.
The 2014 World Junior Championship takes place in Malmo, Sweden. It begins on Dec. 26 and concludes on Jan. 5, 2014. Minnesota Golden Gophers coach Don Lucia will be in charge of Team USA taking over for former NHL defenseman Phil Housley.
“Looking at how Phil coached and his systems, I don’t think the way I like to play is a whole lot different from how the team played last year,” Lucia told NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman after participating in last year’s camp. “We want to be aggressive, we want to recruit players that can skate and take away time and space. Hopefully you have good goaltending and specialty teams, because we all know how important that is in a short tournament.”
One change from last year could be the loss of Seth Jones, Alex Galchenyuk and Jacob Trouba to the NHL. All were instrumental in the Americans’ rise to the top in Ufa, Russia. Along with Gibson who was named tournament MVP, Team USA could have a different look.
“We’ll see how they do when the year begins,” Lucia said of Galchenyuk, Trouba and Jones. “It would be a lot easier to add one than to count on one and not have him.”
“I think it’s invaluable to have guys that have gone through the process and see what it takes to win at that level and win in a short tournament.”
Not in camp is Chicago number one pick Ryan Hartman, who’s recovering from a shoulder injury. Assuming he returns, the future power wing should have a more prominent role. He’s a straight line rugged player who can fly. Lucia is also considering 2014 draft eligible Thatcher Demko in net. He’s one of four netminders being looked at to replace Gibson. He doesn’t turn 18 until Dec. 8 and is entering his freshman year at Boston College. Sewell, New Jersey native Anthony DeAngelo is another ’14 Draft Eligible who could force his way on. The 17-year old defenseman posted 58 points (9-49-58) in his second year with the Sarnia Sting (OHL) ranking third best among blueliners in scoring.
“You try to do the best job of getting the players that you hope are candidates and for the most part will be there,” Lucia added. “And you come out with a little bit of a skeleton, a little bit of a rough draft of an idea of what you think the team may look like. And then it’s up to the players to continue to perform during the course of the fall. The players play themselves into a spot or play themselves out of a spot.”
When Jaromir Jagr signed with the Devils last week, it guaranteed at least one more year for one of the game’s ambassadors. At 41, Jagr goes year to year which better explains his NHL tour. Since returning from Russia, he’s gone from Philadelphia to Dallas to Boston to New Jersey over two years. When No.68 lines up for the Devils in October, it’ll be his fourth stop. Will it be his final one? That remains to be seen.
At the twilight of a brilliant Hall Of Fame career, Jagr seems to enjoy the game more. It’s one of the things we noticed during his stay in New York. In three-plus seasons, he brought back respectability to a struggling franchise once considered a laughingstock. Following the ’04-05 lockout, he guaranteed the playoffs for the Rangers when many had them ranked 30th. With help from rookie goalie Henrik Lundqvist alongside respected vet Kevin Weekes, Jagr delivered on that promise…
After beating the Rangers to end Wayne Gretzky’s career, Jaromir Jagr embraces the Great One in his only Hart season. Will 2013-14 be his last? usatoday.com
When Jaromir Jagr signed with the Devils last week, it guaranteed at least one more year for one of the game’s ambassadors. At 41, Jagr goes year to year which better explains his NHL tour. Since returning from Russia, he’s gone from Philadelphia to Dallas to Boston to New Jersey over two years. When No.68 lines up for the Devils in October, it’ll be his fourth stop. Will it be his final one? That remains to be seen.
At the twilight of a brilliant Hall Of Fame career, Jagr seems to enjoy the game more. It’s one of the things we noticed during his stay in New York. In three-plus seasons, he brought back respectability to a struggling franchise once considered a laughingstock. Following the ’04-05 lockout, he guaranteed the playoffs for the Rangers when many had them ranked 30th. With help from rookie goalie Henrik Lundqvist alongside respected vet Kevin Weekes, Jagr delivered on that promise with one of his best years. He shattered franchise single season marks in goals (54) and points (123). When it comes to ’05-06, he was gigantic. At a time when he was doubted, Jagr dominated. His 24 power play goals were a career best and nine game-winners should’ve been enough for his second Hart. Instead, voters chose JoeThornton,who following a trade to San Jose posted 92 points (20-72-92) in 58 games to edge out Jagr for the Art Ross.
Astonishingly, he’s only won one MVP capturing it in ’98-99 with the Penguins when he amassed 127 points (44-83-127). Ironically. he also delivered one of his most memorable moments against the Devils in their first round series. New Jersey finished with the East’s best record and were expected to go far. They led the series 3-2 with Game 6 at The Civic Center. The old Igloo was home to the Pens’ first two Cups when Jagr teamed with Mario Lemieux in 1991 and 1992. During the first round, Jagr suffered a pulled groin in the first game. With his team facing elimination, he returned. The rest is history.
“I remember that like it happened yesterday,” Jagr told The Star Ledger’s Rich Chere a year ago when the Devils took on the Flyers during the second round. “I pulled my groin in the first game. We were losing, 3-2, in the series and if we would lose in the first round I think the team would move to Kansas City because they had no money. We had to make the second round to get the (money for) the payments.
“I came back and I tied it with a minute and a half to go and then I scored in overtime. That was probably my best game ever, I would say. My most important for sure. I’ll probably never score a goal that important. Probably if I hadn’t scored, the team wouldn’t be in Pittsburgh right now. (Sidney) Crosby would be in Kansas City.”
To this day, Jagr is public enemy number one whenever he returns to Pittsburgh. The divorce was bitter following their ’00-01 run to the Conference Finals that coincidentally ended against New Jersey. Without him, there probably are no more Penguins. They were that close to being extinct. Instead, the franchise survived and now play in a new arena home to Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
It will be odd to see Jagr donning his trademark number 68 in Devils’ red and black. With the exception of two months spent in Dallas, he’s always played for rivals. Even when he suited up for the Bruins, it was another team the Devils compete against. As forgettable as the shortened season was, they expect to be back in it when 2013-14 begins. Devil President and GM Lou Lamoriello has vowed to field a competitive roster following the KHL departure of Ilya Kovalchuk. When they reached agreement with Jagr, many wrote the Devils off. Considering that they picked up Cory Schneider to share the workload with another 41-year old legend Martin Brodeur, it’s hard to see them not being competitive.
Jagr admitted that he strongly considered the Devils after Kovalchuk left because it opened up a top six spot. It’s possible that this could be his final season. In an article back home in the Czech Republic, he hinted at that and wants to be in the best shape.
“I love hockey, and when you love something, you want to do it at the highest level, and that is the NHL,” he told Hokej Cz Wednesday. “If you love something, age is not important. It’s just a number.”
“It may be my last season and I want to do everything possible to be successful.”
Hopefully, he’ll silence the critics and write another chapter in a storied career.
Mats Zuccarello will return for another season. The diminutive 25-year old forward reached agreement with the Rangers on a one-year $1.15 million deal to avoid arbitration. A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow.
Instead, Zuccarello was re-signed leaving Ranger President and General Manager Glen Sather with one big task left. He still must get Derek Stepan done. The Rangers have approximately $2.2 million left. Stepan will command more than that forcing Sather to maneuver under the cap. That bridge will be crossed when they get there.
For now, the Blueshirts brought back the speedy playmaking Norwegian at a reasonable price. After returning from the KHL for a second stint, Zuccarello improved posting eight points (3-5-8) in 15 games. In his first taste of NHL playoffs, he posted a goal and six assists for seven points ranking second behind Derick Brassard (2-10-12) for the team lead. His willingness to take on stronger…
Mats Zuccarello (middle) will return to the Rangers for 2013-14.
Mats Zuccarello will return for another season. The diminutive 25-year old forward reached agreement with the Rangers on a one-year $1.15 million deal to avoid arbitration. A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow.
Instead, Zuccarello was re-signed leaving Ranger President and General Manager Glen Sather with one big task left. He still must get Derek Stepan done. The Rangers have approximately $2.2 million left. Stepan will command more than that forcing Sather to maneuver under the cap. That bridge will be crossed when they get there.
For now, the Blueshirts brought back the speedy playmaking Norwegian at a reasonable price. After returning from the KHL for a second stint, Zuccarello improved posting eight points (3-5-8) in 15 games. In his first taste of NHL playoffs, he posted a goal and six assists for seven points ranking second behind Derick Brassard (2-10-12) for the team lead. His willingness to take on stronger players made him an effective player. Particularly good on the power play, he set up three of the Rangers’ four power play goals.
MZA isn’t a top line guy. However, he’s versatile enough to be moved around. It’s a good move retaining a creative player who doesn’t back down from anyone.
The Battle Of New York includes the Devils, Islanders, Rangers and Sabres. The same Battle teams who comprise New York Puck. If we were to put together an All Battle Team, what would your team look like? While there are some obvious choices, it’s no guarantee they’d be the same for everyone.
Using players from all four clubs, we can make three different teams. The combination of experience, youth and intangibles must be considered. You also might be swayed by the team you root for. Notice my selections above. Though I tried to be fair. I excluded Rick Nash and selected the more versatile Patrik Elias and the Sabres best in Thomas Vanek on the right side. Taking Girardi over Travis Hamonic was tough. Hamonic might pass him but the Rangers’ defensive defenseman has done it longer and deserved to be invited for Team Canada.
If we expand to three teams, goalie is competitive with Cory Schneider battling legend Martin Brodeur for the No.1 job in Newark. Nobody can deny Schneider’s capability but Brodeur is the Devils. In what could be his final year, expect Marty to be at his best. Not long ago, Ryan Miller was considered by many to be an elite goalie. Having led Buffalo to consecutive Conference Finals and Team USA to silver in Vancouver, he was the top American netminder. Things have changed dramatically since. Miller enters the final year of his contract and is expected to get moved at the deadline. Former Conn Smythe winner Jon Quick and Jimmy Howard have passed him with Craig Anderson right behind. He has much to prove. Evgeni Nabokov carried the Islanders to the playoffs. He’ll represent Russia in Sochi.
Following Tavares, there are plenty of strong candidates down the middle. Derek Stepan emerged as the Rangers’ best pivot in 2013 edging out Nash for team scoring. No small feat. His development under ex-coach John Tortorella is proof that young players can excel under a coach who received undeserved criticism. Stepan has matured and become a lethal one-two combo on the penalty kill with Ryan Callahan. Now he must prove he can do it in a full 82 Olympic year. Perhaps the most unheralded center is Cody Hodgson, who plays in obscurity for the Sabres. Since being acquired from Vancouver for Zach Kassian, he’s shown flashes. Can he be the No.1 on an offensively challenged team? Time will tell. The Devils boast Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique. Both are coming off disappointments. Zajac is arguably the best overall center among Battle clubs. One of the game’s top faceoff men, he’s a strong two-way player who plays in every situation. It’ll be interesting to see who Pete DeBoer lines up with him. Henrique is best known for his memorable goal in sudden death that ousted the Rangers sending the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. His clutch play included a first round clincher over the Panthers. He wasn’t the same after injury. Expect a different player this Fall. Can Brad Richards bounce back? He showed signs of slowing down. Maybe a full camp benefits him. Frans Nielsen is an important second center behind Tavares who flies under the radar. A smart pass oriented player who has soft hands, Nielsen has become a reliable guy under Jack Capuano. Players to watch are the Derick Brassard, who wowed MSG with a strong postseason, unsigned Devil Andrei Loktionov who boasts skill, Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis and Isles’ phenom Ryan Strome, who might debut in 2014.
The left wing is dominated by Elias, Nash and Vanek. Of course, Nash should top most lists due to his supreme skill. The big man has moves like Jagr and is breathtaking. He’ll need to score 40 for the Rangers and be more of a factor late. If Brodeur is the Devils’ King, then Elias is the crown prince. The all-time franchise leader in goals and points, he’s done it all winning two Cups and representing the Czech Republic proudly. Hopefully, he’ll get the chance to play with newest Devil Jaromir Jagr one last time in Sochi. Elias is the quiet star who lets his stick do the talking. He can shift to center and continues to be a consistent force for the Devils. Simply put, Vanek is the Sabres’ best player. He is super fast and is one of the best finishers in the game. However, he’s streaky and has been unable to duplicate a breakout season in ’06-07. Vanek enters his final year and is approaching 500 points. Is this the last Buffalo will see of the gifted Austrian? The Isles’ Matt Moulson is a poor man’s Adam Graves who scores garbage goals in front. He does the dirty work and has had chemistry with Tavares since coming over from LA. Moulson has good hands and is a constant power play threat. His consistency makes him a fan favorite on the Island. Carl Hagelin is one of the league’s fastest skaters. Not the most skilled, the gritty Swede squeezes every ounce out of his body and has become a player the Rangers depend on. Only entering his third year under new coach Alain Vigneault, Hagelin could benefit from a higher tempo. Two players to watch are Buffalo’s Marcus Foligno, who’ll be looked upon for more offense and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, who must put 2013 behind him. Keep an eye on Reid Boucher who will start in Albany for the Devils.
The right side isn’t as strong. Ryan Callahan is probably the best. The Rochester native with a no nonsense approach played through a torn labrum. The Ranger captain’s physical style epitomizes a blue collar team who follow his example. He isn’t the most skilled but always shows when he’s needed most. Look no further than his OT playoff clincher against Florida. Will a different coach allow him to score 30? Jaromir Jagr is still going strong at 41. Amazingly, he and Brodeur are the only guys left from the 1990 Draft. Two future Hall Of Famers team up as No.68’s tour of the old Patrick Division continues. New Jersey will be team number five following the Pens, Caps, Rangers and Flyers. Jagr isn’t what he once was but is still a threat. A strong forechecker, he’ll bring puck possession to the Devils along with incredible playmaking. Perhaps he’ll benefit from the offseason after a long season that started back home. Is this the year Kyle Okposo emerges for the Islanders? His play down the stretch and in the first round was the best of his career. Still just 25, the former Isles’ No.1 pick is a relentless forechecker who can shift to center and take key draws. Power wings take longer to develop. Nobody can deny Michael Grabner’s talent. He’s a slippery player with great hands. A lethal shorthanded threat, he’s scored eight times while a man short in three years with the Isles. It’s all about consistency. One of the Devils’ smartest moves was adding Michael Ryder. A proven finisher, his big right-handed shot should benefit a team that will miss Ilya Kovalchuk. Ryder is effective on the power play. A sore spot for the Devs. Buffalo’s Drew Stafford is an odd player. At times, he can score in bunches. In other instances, he disappears. The Sabres need him to show up. Keep an eye on Mikhail Grigorenko, who enters his second year in Western New York.
Taking Ryan McDonagh was an easy call. Already an established defenseman with shutdown capabilities and offensive potential, the Rangers’ best is a strong skater who’s rock solid. He recovers quickly and can jump into the rush. If anyone benefits from Vigneault, it’s him. Dan Girardi is the classic example of a player overlooked by scouts who sneaks up on you. Undrafted, he has become a leader with the Blueshirts. Known for laying out his body and blocking shots, he could double with a cape as Superman because he always returns. It would be nice to see him play his way onto Canada. Ironically, the Isles’ Travis Hamonic was invited. It was deserved. His strong physical play against the Pens stood out. A smart defenseman who also can contribute offensively, he should be a staple when the team moves to Brooklyn next year. The question is how effective will partner Andrew MacDonald be when he returns from a broken hand. He’s a heady player who teams with Hamonic on a revamped Isles’ blueline that features vet Lubomir Visnovsky. There will be more pressure on Visnovsky to provide offense with Mark Streit now a Flyer. Throughout his career, the veteran has been a fixture on the power play. He’ll need a big year for the Isles to make the playoffs in the reformed Metro Division. Perhaps the most overlooked D plays for the Devils in Andy Greene. Not flashy, he’s a steady stay at home type who gets the job done. His play during their run in 2012 was instrumental. He won’t put up a ton of points. That’ll be left for Czech vet Marek Zidlicky who’s had a solid career. The power play quarterback of the Devils is always a threat from the point and is equally adept at finding teammates. He could be in for a good year with buddy Jagr aboard. The wildcard is Marc Staal, who says he’s feeling better after a career threatening eye injury. If healthy, he moves up the depth chart. He was invited to Canada’s 48-man roster. A strong two-way defenseman who’s steady defensively can jump up when needed. We’ll have to wait and see. The Sabres boast offensive-minded German Christian Ehrhoff. A good puck moving D who anchors the Buffalo back end, he’ll rack up points. Buffalo is hoping the reacquisition of Henrik Tallinder will spark Tyler Myers. Once thought as a future star, the former No.1 has regressed since winning the Calder. Like the Rangers’ Mike Del Zotto, the potential is there. Clearly, it’s mental. Other blueliners to watch are the Devs’ Adam Larsson who enters his third year, the Rangers’ John Moore who was a pleasant surprise, Islander youngsters Matt Donovan and Calvin de haan and Devil prospects Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas.
If we were selecting three teams here’s how it would look:
Counting down. We’ve all been guilty of doing it. With August approaching, hockey is just around the corner. October isn’t that far off. After today, it’s 63 days until Opening Night. Even if it’s not the Battle clubs, every pucker can’t wait.
There’s still an interesting month coming up with teams assessing where they are in relation to the cap. Rosters aren’t set. The Rangers still must re-sign Derek Stepan and go to arbitration with Mats Zuccarello. They have less than $3.5 million left to spend. Can they fit both and assuming they don’t walk away from Zuccarello, what other move(s) does Glen Sather make?
The Devils have yet to re-sign Adam Henrique. They have plenty of room but might be deciding if they want to add Damien Brunner. His asking price might be out of their price range. Especially if he thinks he’s worth more than $2.5 million a season Detroit offered. Meanwhile, Jaromir Jagr jerseys are already available. It still is a little odd seeing that No.68 on black and red. Get used to it.
The closer we get to training camps, the closer to analyzing rosters. Who improved the most? Who is in trouble? In the first year of realignment, expect the unexpected. How will an Olympic schedule impact 2013-14? All this and more will get answered.
With Ilya Kovalchuk off to Russia, it will be a new look for the Devils in what could be Martin Brodeur’s final hurrah.
Greetings puckers! This will be our new home. New York Puck is a hockey blog covering the Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Sabres and the NHL. Derek Felix, Hasan Allahverdi and Brian Sanborn have kept tradition alive following Battle Of New York originator and current Puck The Media originator Steve Lepore.
With August approaching, we’re a little over a month until training camp. Two months and counting until the puck drops on 2013-14. With relocation and four divisions, it’s a whole new game. How will it impact the area locals? The newly formed Metro Division features the Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Blue Jackets, Capitals, Flyers, Hurricanes and Penguins. As much as five teams can make the playoffs from one division. It all depends if they can beat out the new Atlantic consisting of the Bruins, Canadiens, Leafs, Lightning, Panthers, Red Wings, Sabres and Senators. The new look East will have 16 teams vying for eight spots while the West boasts only 14 with Winnipeg shifting to the Central.
Jaromir Jagr has a new home in Newark. The Devils are his fifth team in the old Patrick (Pens, Caps, Rangers, Flyers, Devils). At 41, No.68 continues his tour that also included stops in Dallas and Boston this past season. How much can he help the Devils after they lost Ilya Kovalchuk to the KHL? Jagr will team with fellow Czech Olympic teammates Patrik Elias and Marek Zidlicky. Lou Lamoriello also added Ryane Clowe and Michael Ryder this offseason. He took a flyer on Rotislav Olesz. His biggest move was trading their first round pick for Cory Schneider giving the Devils a future No.1 who can supplant Martin Brodeur. How will Pete DeBoer handle the two goalies in an Olympic schedule that includes a league high 22 back-to-backs?
Across the Hudson, the Rangers have mostly stood pat. Having re-signed Ryan McDonagh and Carl Hagelin, Glen Sather still has one major hurdle to climb getting Derek Stepan re-upped. With over three million left, the club is going to arbitration with mighty mite Mats Zuccarello. With not much to spend after retaining Brad Richards, Slats went under the radar adding Dominic Moore and Benoit Pouliot to bolster depth. He also picked up defenseman Justin Falk and journeyman Aaron Johnson. One move they’re hoping will boost scoring is the trade for Danny Kristo. He teamed with Stepan and Chris Kreider helping Team USA win gold at the 2010 WJC. After four years with Michigan, he might be ready. Alain Vigneault has the task of improving team scoring after trading places with John Tortorella. Can he make it work?
Meanwhile, the Islanders got tougher adding human wrecking ball Cal Clutterbuck in a trade for former first round pick Nino Niederreiter. Able to re-sign Evgeni Nabokov in net, Travis Hamonic long-term and Matt Martin, Garth Snow has kept a solid nucleus in place featuring superstar John Tavares. Pierre-Marc Bouchard has replaced Brad Boyes. Gone is Mark Streit to the Flyers for bigger dollars. The Isles are looking to Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald to anchor the blueline following a strong showing against Pittsburgh. How MacDonald comes back from injury is a factor. Is this the year we see Ryan Strome? And can former No.1 pick Calvin de haan beat out Matt Donovan and Aaron Ness?
In Western New York, the Sabres have gone from trying to compete to rebuild mode. Both Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek should be available. Each is in their last year with Buffalo going in another direction. How competitive can they be in a loaded division featuring the Bruins, Habs, Leafs, Sens and Wings? All made the postseason last year and are stronger than the Sabres. There isn’t much scoring behind Vanek and top center Cody Hodgson. They need more consistency from Drew Stafford and are looking to former No.1 Mikhail Grigorenko to mature in his second year. Steve Ott was solid in his first year and will continue to be a pest. Tyler Ennis also must step up. A healthy Marcus Foligno can help. They’re hoping bringing back Henrik Tallinder will fix Tyler Myers. He’s regressed and is desperately needed to anchor a D that includes Christian Ehrhoffand newcomer Jamie McBain, who Darcy Regier stole from Carolina. How much time will Jhonas Enroth see in net? Miller is clearly on the outs. It could be a long year.
There’s also the Sochi Olympics to look forward to. How will Kovalchuk be greeted by former NHLers? There’s plenty to look forward to for hockey fans.
In something that’s been rumored for at least a week but finally became a reality today, the Devils confirmed that yes, Jaromir Jagr is indeed joining the red and white on a one-year deal with a $2 million base salary and another $2 million in games played bonuses. It was a move both expected and filled with irony, as the Devils replaced a rare big-name signing (Ilya Kovalchuk) with another one in the future Hall-of-Famer. Unlike the Russian merc though, this deal isn’t about money and is in fact an even more cap-friendly deal than I thought it might be, although other older stars like Daniel Alfredsson and Jarome Iginla took similarly structured contracts this offseason.
During an abbreviated conference call (which was cut short when two gasbags on XM left their line open while listening to the conference call and started blasting inappropriate language), Jagr admitted he was in talks with 3-4 teams and also that GM Lou Lamoriello first contacted him before Kovalchuk ‘retired’. Which lends credence to the fact that Lou knew the Russian merc was gone before everyone else did. To nobody’s surprise Lou confirmed Jagr would be allowed to keep his #68, stating something everyone who followed the Devils already knew – the exception on high numbers applies only to potential Hall of Famers. Only Alexander Mogilny and Doug Gilmour had ever worn numbers over 44 on the Devils for the last two and a half decades, after all.
What Devil fans care about more than the number on his back though, is the numbers he can put up on the scoresheet. Yes, he had a bad playoffs statistically after playing a full lockout season and also overseas during the lockout, but there’s two positives that can be taken from Jagr’s year at 41 – he had 16 goals and 19 assists in 45 regular season games (which would have rated second in points on the Devils last year behind countryman Patrik Elias), and he stayed healthy. There’s something to be said for being able to play almost 100 games total between overseas and the NHL season/playoffs at the age of 41. Not to mention the price/term is right. There’s literally nothing to nitpick about this deal.
Funny thing is now Jagr’s played for almost every team in the old Patrick Division (including the Caps) other than the Islanders. And in a oddity, the Devils now have the only two active NHL players from the 1990 draft on their roster with of course Martin Brodeur being the other. Of course there’s a certain amount of concern with being old and staying old, but really what else were the Devils supposed to do when Kovalchuk took a fortune in rubles to go home? Throw silly money at an unknown quantity in Damien Brunner or another Russian headcase in Mikhail Grabovski?
So is Lou done now? Well not quite since the Adam Henrique long-term deal is still in a holding pattern, still ‘close, but not done’, the way it has been the last two weeks. Once that deal gets done, the Devils will have fifteen forwards with an NHL contract, fourteen of them on a one-way deal (2012 playoff revelation Stephen Gionta being the only exception as his deal converts to a two-way this year). Being $4.6 million away from the celing before Henrique’s deal, the Devils don’t have a lot of room left to do any additions – though the Jagr deal gives them another couple million in bonus flexibility which they can roll over to next year should they choose – but with fourteen/fifteen forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies signed it might be academic anyway. Unless a trade is worked out, this might be the team we go to camp with. While it’s not the team I might have been hoping for two months ago, Lou’s truly done just about all he can given the twin departures of Kovalchuk and David Clarkson.
Who knows though, maybe he’s got another trick or two up his sleeve yet this offseason. Lou even acknowledged the fans in an oddly sentimental manner:
“And our fans deserve to have a good hockey team,” Lamoriello said. “That’s something that’s important with all that’s transpired.”
Czech Mate: Jaromir Jagr could be teaming up with Patrik Elias in New Jersey. Getty Images
Jaromir Jagris one of the greatest hockey players to ever play the game. The NHL’s eighth all-time leading scorer is rumored to be landing in Newark. As hard as it is to believe, the 41-year old legend could be a Devil next week. After touring the Prudential Center Friday, it’s all but done according to a report from the Czech Republic.
Since returning to the NHL in 2011, Jagr has been well traveled playing for three teams in two seasons. After spending the entire ’11-12 season with the Flyers, he split time this past year with the Stars and Bruins. In 45 combined games, he tallied 35 points (16-19-35). Despite not scoring a goal in the playoffs, he still managed 10 assists in Boston’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. They lost to Chicago in six games. Ironically, the last team Jagr beat to win Lord Stanley teaming up with Mario Lemieux to repeat with Pittsburgh in 1992 at age 20. He’s the only player to play in the Cup Finals as a teenager (19) and at over 40 years of age (41).
If Devils President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello has decided to sign Jagr for a year, he’s making the obvious play after losing star Ilya Kovalchuk to the KHL. Undoubtedly, Jagr’s not the same player he was with the Rangers following the ’04-05 lockout when he set franchise records with 54 goals and 123 points. However, he’s still a presence whose size and strength should boost the Devil forecheck. The idea that Jagr could reunite with Czech buddy Patrik Elias is intriguing. Even at this late stage of his career, Number 68 still possesses great hands. His playmaking capabilities can aid New Jersey’s power play. Don’t forget countryman Marek Zidlicky. It could have a similar look to the ’05-06 Rangers. In an Olympic year, will we see Jagr once more on the biggest stage in Sochi, Russia? That remains to be seen. He might be better suited using the Olympic Break to rest.
As we’ve seen, Jagr no longer can take the grind of an 82-game schedule and playoffs. How coach Pete DeBoer handles him will be similar to Martin Brodeur, who’s expected to split duty with Cory Schneider. Don’t forget the 22 back-to-backs the Devils have. Something that should be closely watched.
For his NHL career, Jagr is the all-time leader in goals (681), assists (1,007) and points (1,688) among European-born players. His 1,391 career games are second to Roman Hamrlik (1,395) just ahead of Teemu Selanne (1,387) on the active list. With 199 career playoff points, Jagr moved ahead of Brett Hull and Paul Coffey into fifth all-time. His next point would be number 200. Only all-time leader Wayne Gretzky (382), Mark Messier (295), Jari Kurri (233) and Glenn Anderson (214) have more.
After re-signing Jacob Josefson, the Devils have approximately $9.88 million left to re-sign Group II Adam Henrique. They’re close. There’s enough room for Jagr. It would be his 20th season. He’s played for Pittsburgh, Washington, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Dallas and Boston.
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