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Thursday, 23 June 2011 11:00

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

As you may have heard, the Penguins are kicking around the idea of bring back a former Czech star with flashy skills and a history of atrocious hairstyles.

No not Robert Lang. Jaromir Jagr.

Such a move is fraught with the potential for large reward as well as equally sizeable risk.

Here are the biggest pros and cons of bringing Jaromir Jagr back to the Penguins.

Pro - Power Play

The Penguins' power play has been ... problematic ... to put it mildly. And it's been that way for a few seasons. Despite having the talents of all-stars such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang available, the Penguins just can't find any consistency with the man advantage. Enter the man with 110 career power-play goals for the Penguins, second most in franchise history. Assuming the coaching staff allowed it to flow through him, the power play would be bound to improve.

Con - Money

By all accounts he wants nothing more than one-year deal from his next suitor regardless if it's the Penguins, Red Wings or some murky mystery team. So length doesn't appear to be an issue. But money does. Anything north of $3 million would seem out of range for the Penguins considering the have approximately $8 million of salary cap room to work with. But players with less ability command in excess of $3 million. Montreal pays Andre Kostitsyn, an above average top-six winger $3.25 million. We have to imagine Jagr is at least on par in terms of skill with Kotsitsyn. And would signing Jagr close the door on a return of restricted free agent Tyler Kennedy (above), a younger player who broke through with 21 goals last season?

Pro - Washington

If for nothing else, it would be entertaining to see if Jagr could top Crosby in terms of being booed in Washington. The infamous 2001 offseason trade which sent Jagr and Frantisek Kucera to the Capitals in exchange for Kris Beech, Ross Lupuschuk, Michal Sivek and cash was pretty much a two-way street of failure. The Penguins franchise essentially fell apart as a result of the deal while the Capitals built a hopeful Stanley Cup contender around Jagr but never moved past the first round of the playoffs. Two and a half seasons later, Capitals management blew up the team and were in lottery-draft pick land like the Penguins. Jagr was the face of that failure and Capitals fans have treated him like John Wilkes Booth ever since.

Con - Age

Jagr will turn 40 midway through next season. How many 40-year-olds are there in the NHL routinely playing productive hockey in a top-six forward role? Teemu Selanne and Mark Recchi are proof that it can be done. On the flip side, the Penguins saw a 39-year-old Bill Guerin wear down as the 2009-10 season wore on. And last season, a 38-year-old Alex Kovalev (above) looked like he didn't even belong on an NHL rink at times.

By all accounts, Jagr is in good shape. He's never suffered a debilitating ailment such as the knee injury Kovalev suffered with the Senators in 2009-10. And he has been spared some wear and tear the past three years by playing a much shorter KHL schedule. Additionally, Jagr was never a true speedster on skates. He was more of a bull. Speed, or a lack thereof, won't be an issue for Jagr presumably. But can he still barrel through opposing defenders while stringing the puck along with one hand?

Pro - Skill

Despite his age, Jagr still has the skill set of a legit top six forward in the NHL. He put a lot of that on display this past season in the World Championships by scoring nine points in nine games, tied for fifth-most in the tournament. He was eighth in the KHL regular season scoring race this past season with 51 points in 49 games. With the Rangers in 2007-08, his last full season in the NHL, he had 71 points in 82  games. That would have put him in the top 25 of the league's scoring race this past season, ahead of all-stars such as Joe Thornton, Daniel Briere and Rick Nash.

Jagr won't be setting any sort of personal bests if he returns to the NHL in terms of scoring. But he can still be a dangerous offensive threat at this level.

Con - Lockeroom

By many accounts, the Penguins have one of the best locker rooms in all of the NHL. It's something management places a high priority on. This is Sidney Crosby's team. This is Evgeni Malkin's team. This is Brooks Orpik's team. This is Jordan Staal's team. This is Marc-Andre Fleury's team. A decade ago, this was Jaromir Jagr's team. Is he willing to join a "different" team? (If that makes sense.)

Also, Jagr is prone to saying or doing some... uh... curious things. "Dying Alive" is still a popular piece of vernacular in the lexicon of Penguins fans. Even during his last NHL season with the Rangers, there was a report of Jagr meeting with KHL officials about returning to that league before the playoffs started. In short, Jagr is one stray, casual, stream-of-conscious thought from being a silly distraction for his team and for his teammates. Are the Penguins, or any team, willing to take on that baggage?

Pro - Motivation

There are plenty of reasons Jagr could be motivated by a return. Presumably, he'd want to make all those Penguins fans who booed him during his final visits at Mellon Arena cheer him in the Consol Energy Center. Jagr has always expressed admiration for this city and its fan base. There appears to be a desire to repair burnt bridges on his end.

And it's not a coincidence the two teams he has been connected with - the Penguins and Red Wings - are bona fide Stanley Cup contenders. There's a reason he isn't talking to the Blue Jackets or Oilers. He wants to win.

Finally, Mario Lemieux has talked with Jagr. Jagr looks up to Lemieux. He once said of Lemieux, "I would play for the minimum salary. I would play for $350,000 just for him because I owe him my hockey life. I want to pay him back because he has made me what I am…besides my parents.”

Having Lemieux in your corner is a heck of a motivating factor, especially if you put him on par with your parents.

(Photo: Jagr first-Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press; Jamie Sabau/Getty Images; Jagr second-Kenneth Lambert/Associated Press; Kovalev-Jamie Sabau/Getty Images; Crosby and Lemieux-Peter Diana/Post-Gazette)

Comments (15)

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written by Bones, June 23, 2011 - 11:29 AM

Kovy was clearly playing for his paycheck, the only reasons for Jagr to return is to either prove he can still compete against NHL-caliber players and to have another shot at getting his name on the Cup again.

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written by Disgruntled Goat, June 23, 2011 - 12:43 PM

I don't really see any of the cons being big deals. This is Sid's team. The locker room is tight. I'm sure that Sid has already been consulted on this issue, and if it goes forward it will surely be with his OK. Even with the turnover that is likely coming, no one player, even as disruptive as some seem to think Jagr is, could mess up that chemistry. Jagr is not going to be asked to be a leader on this team on or off the ice. There are already plenty of leaders and he will not even be given an "A." He will not be expected to be a primary scorer and won't get the kind of ice time Sid and Geno take. Bylsma will be smart enough to rest him as necessary to keep his legs fresh. As far as money goes, Shero will decide how much he can afford and how much Jagr is worth. Keep in mind, the cap has expanded more than expected. If a deal can't be done within those parameters, then he'll just walk away. The rewards far exceed the risks in my mind. If the playoff power play was only a meager 10%.....

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written by GenoSid, June 23, 2011 - 12:43 PM

Can anyone name a winger for $2-3 million a year that we should sign instead?

For the record, Tyler Kennedy is NOT a top 6 forward. The two games he played on a line with Staal and Malkin, he appeared to think their job was to be a decoy for him, so he could be a puck hog.

TK's value is just like Staal's. He is a GREAT third line player. And just like Jordan, he is a below average second line player.

If he gets paid like a top 6 guy, we can't keep him. Rather than risk that, we should trade him and get something for him and resign Dupuis, who is more valuable to us anyway.

Sign Jagr. Sign Dupuis. Trade Kennedy.

PS- If Mike Rupp is actually asking for $1.5 million a year...maybe he and Max could share a moving van.

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written by Bones, June 23, 2011 - 01:30 PM

What sells me on signing him is that you are looking at a one year commitment. All indications are that Jagr is not looking for a multi-year deal. If that was the case, neither Detroit or the Pens would even bother. After this season his money would be off the books and freed up to be spent elsewhere.

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written by Boom Shaka, June 23, 2011 - 01:34 PM

First of all, Jagr is one of the best in Penguins history, and regardless of what happens, his number should be hanging in the rafters when he calls it quits for good.

However, I like the way Shero is handling it. Based on his comments, it seems there is interest there, but he wants to make sure the move would be in the best interest of winning the Cup in 2012.

My two cents: I don't really think that he'd be a distraction, I think he realized (like many Pittsburgh athletes) that the grass isn't always greener, and he wants to end his career where he had his biggest successes.

The biggest question in my mind is production and how it ties in with cost. He looked great at the world championships, no doubt, but he's 39, and the NHL is a different league. At 39, he's going back to a much more physical and bruising style of play than what he's seen since he left the league for the KHL.

There is a definite chance he won't put up numbers close to what I've seen floating around on the internet.

That's what they need to keep in mind if/when they start talking about money.

If he's willing to come back for a reasonable price, I'd love nothing more than to see 68 in a Pens sweater dancing around defenders with the puck.

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written by Strohs58, June 23, 2011 - 01:43 PM

I personally think he'd look better in a chicken wings jersey. Just say "No" Mr. Shero.

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written by jameshutton, June 23, 2011 - 02:16 PM

I'd pick him up if he is available in February. If not, oh well. If he's on the team the whole season, he'll be a constant question mark and distraction as far as effort, durability, etc. Unless of course, he'll actually play for the minimum

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written by Bones, June 23, 2011 - 02:34 PM

His World Championship performance has to be taken with a grain of salt, an 82 game + playoff NHL season is a totally different beast.

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written by Disgruntled Goat, June 23, 2011 - 02:38 PM

Before you question Jagr's effort, you should probably review the 1999 playoff series (groin) against the Devils. As far as durability goes, he did play in all 82 regular season games each of his last three seasons with the Rangers. I'll take those question marks over "How come your power play sucks?"

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written by Uli, June 23, 2011 - 04:36 PM

I think the only concern is money. How much will he demand and can the Pens afford to pay him that amount? He was never a speedster like Bure, so that´s no issue at all. And skill never vanishes. Mario for example will make some then active defenders look like fools even when he´s 60. Motivation? What else but winning another cup could be a motivation for him? For this goal, he knows he must fit into an intact locker room. Wether it´s in PIT, DET or somewhere else.

If we can afford him to a reasonable price and for one year, I´d say: GET HIM!

By the way, great article Seth as always. I wish I could have chatted with you guys last night.

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written by jameshutton, June 23, 2011 - 04:56 PM

@goat - effort in the playoffs isn't my concern. It's consistent effort in the 82 games leading up to the playoffs. As far as durability goes, the difference between durability at 36 and 40 is significant. Jagr of course isn't like your average weekend warrior at the gym, but questions about any 40-year old's durability are going to come up. Unless he's willing to play for a pretty low salary, I don't think he's worth the risk, unless he's a late-season pickup (at which time his price will probably be higher).

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written by Disgruntled Goat, June 23, 2011 - 05:10 PM

I'll not debate the fact that durability may be a possible concern for any player his age, but in my opinion its worth the risk. I'm not aware of any specific reason to question his durability.

I've watched Jagr play lots of games and have never seen any reason to question his effort level. Effort in the playoffs is my concern, because no matter what happens, short of nuclear catastrophe, they are going to make the playoffs.

I agree that the price must be right.

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written by KRC, June 23, 2011 - 07:26 PM

If the price isn't too high, I'd say go for it. I wouldn't mind seeing Jagr end his career where he started, here in Pittsburgh. It seems he still can play at a high level, so, who knows, it might actually work out.. Hell, age doesn't always denote how well a person is going to perform on the team and it's always a gamble.

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written by Cup4Pens, June 23, 2011 - 09:23 PM

I say bring him back if the Pens can do it. I'd love to see Jagr in Pittsburgh again. Not just because I could dust off my Jagr jersey with the classic Pittsburgh diagonally down the front, but because this team needs a scoring winger. Uh... Jagr is exactly that!

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written by Cup4Pens, June 23, 2011 - 09:25 PM

Seth, after your pros and cons, what is your opinion? Do you think the Pens should sign Jagr?

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