Jaromir Jagr may have been the biggest surprise in the NHL during the 2013-14 season. He came to the New Jersey Devils after the team was rocked by the sudden retirement of forward Ilya Kovalchuk. Nobody expected the kind of season Jagr responded with.
The Devils gave him a one-year deal that ended up being for $4 million ($2 million base, $2 million for incentives). He far exceeded that price. He scored 24 goals and tallied 43 assists all while being the second oldest forward in the league (Teemu Selanne was the only one who was older). Can Jagr come back this season and play as well as he did last year?
The simple answer is yes, but why?
For one, he now has a very good left wing to play with. Last year, he played with a turnstile of players to his left. Jacob Josefson, Reid Boucher, Patrik Elias, Ryane Clowe, Joe Whitney and more were asked to play on the team’s top line. Now, Jagr knows who will be on the top line every game, and he is very good. Michael Cammalleri signed with the Devils for five years, $25 million. In 63 games with the Calgary Flames, he scored 26 goals. Having that kind of weapon alongside himself and Travis Zajac could make him play 10 years his junior.
Jagr has one of the best work ethics in the NHL. He works out after practices and games during the season. He doesn’t get hurt because of this. His body is still in amazing condition, despite being 42 years old. He was able to put in over 19 minutes of ice time per game, and he was still fresh up until the last game of the season.
The Devils’ offense is improved all around. The fact that there won’t be as much pressure to carry the offense will help Jagr. He can focus on his game, set people up and score power play goals. He can do the things that have kept him in the league since 1990. That will make him another great player on this Devils team.
Nick Villano is the New Jersey Devils writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
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