Michael Ivins – USA TODAY Sports
Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli told the media this morning that he would not be re-signing Jaromir Jagr.
The Bruins’ organization has been quiet and reserved on addressing whether or not they would re-sign the 41-year-old, saying only, “We’re done, we’re done for now.” Chiarelli seemed to have no interest in Jagr before Nathan Horton decided to explore free agency. Shortly after, Chiarelli told the media they would “Possibly circle back to Jagr.”
Jagr played in 11 games with the Bruins, registering two goals, seven assists and having 28 shots on goal. Jagr performed far under his usual numbers, which provokes the question of whether or not the Bruins were too quick to let him go.
Jagr has played in 1,391 career games, posting 681 goals and 1,007 assists.Jagr came to the Bruins just before the trade deadline and struggled to score goals throughout the playoffs. Though Jagr didn’t score many goals with the Bruins, his puck-handling and play-making abilities were phenomenal.
Jagr isn’t done yet, however. Rumors have been circulating throughout the league that the 41-year-old right winger has been in talks with the Montreal Canadians and more recently, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Bruins have now opened up their bottom six, but reports suggest that Chiarelli will be looking to have competition among young players, with Matt Fraser, Reilly Smith and Jordan Caron all looking for a spot. The competition will be a tight one considering the Bruins run a pretty tight shift, in terms of who fits the Bruin profile and who doesn’t.
No one is sure if the Bruins may have been a little hasty letting Jagr go, but with recent controversial trades such as Tyler Seguin going to the Dallas Stars, hastiness may be in the air. The GM for the Bruins has seemed to make the right decisions all along, however, he may have expected a little too much from Jagr in too short of a time. In a shortened season and coming in at the trade deadline, Jagr didn’t have much time to adjust to his new teammates. Bruins fans can only speculate at this point if Chiarelli’s decision on Jagr will come back to bite the team or not. Speculation surrounding the decision has also included the Bruins not being able to afford Jagr due to large contract extensions of Tuukka Rask and Patrice Bergeron. Considering the new salary cap regulations, this speculation may not be far fetched.
Avery Crotty is a contributor at Rant Sports, follow him on twitter and “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
