Jaromir Jagr’s Future With The Florida Panthers

Jaromir Jagr’s contract finishes at the end of the season with the Florida Panthers. The Cats will have a big decision, on whether to resign Jagr or not.

Jaromir Jagr is currently 45 years old and not getting any younger. At this part of his career, teams will only give him a year at a time on his contract. Jagr will need to continue his strong work ethic, in order to stay in the NHL. At the end of the season, the Cats will have an important decision to make on whether Jagr should really be resigned or not.

Jagr was brought in by Dale Tallon, in order to spark both Huberdeau and Barkov’s production. Before Jaromir was a Panther, Huberdeau and Barkov often struggled without that veteran presence to rely on, in difficult situations. The moment Jagr was brought in, was the moment Huberdeau and Barkov started to elevate both their games. From there on then, that first line began to explode.

It was the season of 2015-2016 where the Cats began to explode as a team. Part of that reason was through our top 6 forwards, and their main contribution on the scoreboard. Jagr, Huberdeau, and Barkov together combined for 184 points, while the second line tallied 163 points. Those two lines were a large part of why we ended up with 103 points at the end of the year, and a Atlantic division banner in reward.

Not only has Hubedeau and Barkov improved, but so has Jagr. Even at age 45, Jaromir continues to break record after record. Every game played for Jaromir, is a chance for him to make more history. Each goal he scores, assist he makes, or even games he plays, is history and accomplishments for all us fans to witness. Jagr especially has brought lots of excitement down here to Florida. He is the figure that young kids look up to, and want to become when they grow up. Jagr continues to attract more and more fans to the game. He’s certainly a player you’d love to have around the dressing room.

Apart from the Florida Panthers, Jagr’s presence around the league is very well respected. Lots of players in the NHL continue to look up to Jagr and to model their games after him as well. As we saw in last years All Star skills competition, P.K. Subban dressed up as Jagr wearing a mullet and panther jersey. As fun as it was for us fans to watch, you could tell how much fun guys like P.K. were having when dressing up as Jagr. As some may say, “the Jagr presence is  surely real”.

Next: Coaching Targets For The Florida Panthers

So at the end of the season, what should the Florida Panthers do with Jaromir Jagr? Personally, I’d resign him for another year. As shown above through statistics and general presence towards the team, Jagr has played a big role in mentoring our young guys. Not only is Jagr a hockey icon, but he can also score and put points on the board even at the late age of 45. When Jagr is paired with Huberdeau and Barkov, they all seem to click and produce at a rate no one can stop. This is what the Florida Panthers need going forward.