Jaromir Jagr Is Not Your Fucking Charity Case
Today is July 11th and Jaromir Jagr is STILL a free agent. We’ve talked about this plenty already over the last couple of weeks (June 30th Jagr blog here. July 7th Jagr blog here). The fact that it’s gotten this far already is a joke. I know he’s 45 and his legs aren’t up to NHL speed anymore. But somebody signed Karl Alzner this offseason for Christ’s sake. If you can hand over a check and a roster spot to Karl Alzner, then you can hand over a check and a roster spot to Jaromir Jagr.
But now it’s reached it’s tipping point. Now we are at the point in Jaromir Jagr’s free agency when ECHL teams are offering Jagr spots on their roster. And I, for one, will not stand for it.
Florida Everblades – The ECHL’s Florida Everblades announced Monday that the team is extending a roster spot offer to longtime NHL veteran Jaromir Jagr. The invitation to join the Everblades will remain open in the event he does not reach a deal to play in the NHL for the 2017-18 season. The offer is an attempt to bolster the roster for the team’s upcoming 20th Anniversary Season.
There has been a lot of talk and speculation in recent weeks regarding where the elite player will land next season. Numerous reports have stated that several NHL GMs have failed to return Jagr’s phone calls. The Everblades organization is making it known that the phone lines are always open for Mr. Jagr.
Listen. I’ve got plenty of respect for the ECHL and the grind those guys go through during the season. But keep Jagr’s name out of your mouth. The man is a legend and all 31 GMs across the NHL should feel ashamed of themselves right now that they’ve let this situation get to the point where ECHL teams think it’s cute to offer him a job. One of the greatest to ever play the game and now the only teams offering him a roster spot take buses to road games and also have “Star Wars Night” themed games. I won’t have it, I say.
I don’t know what it’s going to take but I promise you this. I will not sleep until Jaromir Jagr has signed with an NHL club for the 2017-18 season. The man can get your 40 points on the powerplay alone this year. The fact that he’s not with a team already is, to quote a blogger from Harvard, WILD.