Calgary Flames Monday Roundtable: Remaining Off-Season Questions

Question 1: With these Jaromir Jagr rumours/conversations going around, how would you feel if he actually came to the Calgary Flames?

Jonathan Boulanger

Personally I feel as though its a low risk, low reward. However, If he comes, I don’t think he will put up the numbers that we’re used to seeing from him (10-15 goals, 25 points is my guess) but then again, this is Jaromir Jagr we’re talking about, so you never know. That being said, I think it will certainly help sell tickets and bring more league-wide attention to the Calgary Flames, which is certainly not a bad thing. I know I’m buying a Jagr jersey if he signs.

Ian Gustafson

I would love if Jagr came to the Flames. He is still contributing decent numbers for a player his age and he could be valuable to the youth on the team. The only downside I see is it might be tough to fit him in the line up and he might not be fast enough for the Flames pace of play. He will most likely be asking for quite a bit of money too.

Tomas Oppolzer

I would be ecstatic. Jagr is a living legend and having a name like that associated with the team I cheer for would be a dream come true. On top of that, though, he’s also still a damn good hockey player. Unlike most players that reach his age, Jagr is still capable of putting up around 50 points a season (He dropped 46 last year and 66 the year before) and is generally great at pushing play in the right direction.

While he’s not the fastest player (he never was) Jagr doesn’t need to rely on speed. His superior hockey sense helps him know just where to be and that would be a huge asset on any Flames line. He also has the reputation of helping Claude Giroux develop into the player he is today by being a good influence and having that around Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk could be huge for them too.

Related Story: More Jaromir Jagr to Calgary Talks

Benjamin Prokopy

I am really torn on this one.

On one hand, he played all 82 games last year, contributing 16 goals and 46 points. His even-strength Corsi and Fenwick numbers were similarly positive last year, indicating his team had possession of the puck more than half the time when he was on the ice.

Assuming Jagr spends the bulk of his time on the third line with Sam Bennett and Kris Versteeg, it isn’t likely he will score at last year’s pace. His old linemates, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, are simply more offensively gifted.

What is likely is that he will play mentor to Sam Bennett. And I can think of nobody better. If Bennett can’t find his NHL game with a living legend in his ear between every shift, then all is truly lost.

All this upside is tarnished for me by the fact that Jagr is on the wrong side of 45 years old. Though his disciplined diet and fitness regimen are well documented, age will catch him eventually. He’s slowing down; that won’t stop.

So, what if this is the year that the ageless wonder begins to look his age? What if this is the year he is simply unable to keep up? Last year, Jagr’s cap hit was $4M. Even if Treliving gets him for $3M, that’s a lot of money to be sitting in the press box every night.

It’s a risk/reward scenario that is more risk than reward for me.

Dan Raicevich

I would embrace it, thoroughly. Sure, the old man Jagr is 45 years old. In his defense, he is a living legend who trains as hard as anyone in the league today. Not only can he provide great mentor-ship to players like Sam Bennett, Johnny Gaudreau, etc., but he can still chip in on the offensive side of the puck. While his skating might not be what it once was, his hockey IQ is still billowing off the charts. Not to mention, Jagr is one of the strongest players with the puck to ever play the game. That ox-like strength never left the Czech native, as he still can maneuver his way around defenders like pylons (that means you, Dion Phaneuf). Jagr would be a great addition to a team on the cusp of seriously contending in the Western Conference, make it happen Brad Treliving.

Ramina Shlah

I agree with Jonathan, I’m definitely buying a Jagr jersey if he signs. However, like Benjamin said, there are some risks. But I disagree with it being a high-risk/low-reward.

There were rumours that he may sign for $3.7 million, but if that’s the case, it may be a little expensive. If the Calgary Flames can sign him at around $3 million or less, I’d be happy. It’d be awesome to have a guy like Jagr on the team and like the others said, he can definitely be a mentor. It’d be nice to see him on a third line alongside Bennett and Versteeg.