Well, the saga is over for but one more season. Jaromir Jagr has signed a
$4.55 million dollar deal for the 2012-2013 season with the Dallas Stars.
Although many Habs fans would have loved to see him paired with country mate
Tomas Plekanec, the asking price just seemed too high. Admittedly, he is
probably good for 55-65 points – which merits a salary in that range –
nevertheless, he does not seem a logical piece for a franchise that is
undergoing a mild “rebuild”- if we can use the term.
Don’t get me wrong. I would have loved to see him lace up for the Canadiens
next year – and given it would have been a one year deal there would not be an
extensive risk involved. The majority of the fan base probably agrees. Still,
something tells me that Marc Bergevin is not unwise in avoiding number 68’s
services. At the age of 40, he shows signs of wear and calls into question his
ability to endure a whole season. Even if he did it last year, his production
declined towards the later months of the schedule. He also shone by having the
benefit of playing with Claude Giroux who was among the top point producing
centers.
The temptation is definitely there to go and get a name like Jagr. But the
attraction is one of the past. He is no longer an elite forward even if his
reputation may cause one to think he is. He will be a Hall of Famer and was one
of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen. Montreal, however, is in no need
of acquiring a former superstar in order to fill up a few seats. The Bell Centre
is sold out indefinitely for Montreal Canadiens games. With no need to lure in
the casual fan, Jagr’s value dwindles and becomes easy to compensate for (who do
you think will score more goals this upcoming season: Jagr or Bourque?). Let us
hope it is the latter and those of us who were near an instant romance with the
once undeniable Jaromir will not be forced to drive a “Jagr” through our hearts.
Who knows? There is always next year…