Jaromir Jagr laments stalled NHL job search, could start season in Europe
Written By Brandon Schlager
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It seems incomprehensible Jaromir Jagr has yet to latch on with an NHL team. Yet here we are in August, about one month from the opening of training camps league wide, and the ageless wonder is beginning to entertain the possibility of starting the 2017-18 season in Europe.
"I didn't expect it would be so hard to get a job in the NHL this year," Jagr told NHL.com Wednesday after taking part in an exhibition tournament to honor the career of Czech countryman Martin Havlat, who is retiring from professional hockey at 36.
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Opposite that, Jagr, 45, feels he has plenty left in the tank. He made that remark under the context of reaching 2,000 points in the NHL, lamenting the fact he might not get that chance. He has 1,914, second all time next to Wayne Gretzky, and could conceivably reach the milestone in two more seasons after managing 46 points (16 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games with the Panthers last year. He would surpass Gordie Howe's NHL record of 1,767 games with another full campaign.
​"The most serious negotiations I have are with Kladno, because Kladno has a smart owner who knows what he wants," Jagr joked, referring to the team he owns in the Czech Republic. "No, really, I don't have a clue. I leave it all on my agent (Petr Svoboda). There is a couple of (NHL) teams that showed interest, but nothing specific yet."
Several factors - a team willing to tolerate the declining foot speed of an aging commodity; Jagr's preference to play a role of prominence for a warm climate franchise - have contributed to this delay. If the right offer doesn't come along soon, Jagr's best option might be to start the season in his hometown, where he would be free to come and go. He could take part in 2018 Winter Olympics, outside NHL constraints, and return to North America in time to take another run at the Stanley Cup with a contending team.
"That would be the advantage of playing for Kladno," he told NHL.com. "One thing is I would be at home and the other is I would have a chance to leave for the NHL anytime there is an opportunity. Let's say some team deals with injuries and needs help, then I could pack my stuff in the next day and go.
"If I played in Extraliga, I wouldn't have such an option unless the Czech league season would be over."
Thus, it doesn't sound like this is the end to a Hall of Fame career.
Jagr has defied all reasonable longevity expectations for the past five years since returning from his KHL hiatus and likely will continue to do so.
The Maple Leafs are paying a 37-year-old Patrick Marleau $6.25 million per year for the next three years, so there's a definite role for Jagr, whose point total equaled Marleau's last season. But if a 24th NHL season is in the cards, it'll begin on his own terms.
"Most important for me is to see some serious interest from the team," Jagr said. "Because the more serious it is, the bigger the chance to get a better role on the team. And then it's on me how I would use that chance. Right now, I need to be ready when the opportunity comes."