A little over a week after he joked about playing for his own Czech hockey team in the wake of a quiet summer on the free agent market, Jaromir Jagr can rule out at least one NHL team from bringing him in.
Answering questions from season ticket holders this week, Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake said the unsigned 45-year-old doesn't "fit in" on his team, according to NHL.com, even if Jagr remains a "tremendous player."
"When you get to a certain age, you have to be a certain fit on a team. We've looked at lot of different free agents in the summer and where it fits in in our projections ... There was also the equation of the salary cap and how things fit in. We didn't go in the direction of Jagr this year. But again, he's a tremendous player and I'm sure he'll surface somewhere."
If Blake's serious about Jagr still being a "tremendous player" at age 45 (and he probably is, considering the former Florida Panthers forward netted 46 points and played all 82 games in 2016-17), then why would the Kings rule out a proven addition to a needy offense? The only reasonable explanation is that Jagr, who's received a minor-league offer to keep playing in 2017-18, is commanding too much money -- hence Blake's mention of the salary cap?
Still, it could be crucial for Los Angeles to find a balance between overpaying for help and overlooking help. It remains to be seen just what kind of contract Jagr is seeking, and even with the NHL legend's mid-40s endurance, it's justifiable for Blake to balk at big-money demands. The Kings warrant offensive upgrades like anyone, though, and outside of a preseason or in-season splash on the trade market, Blake isn't going to find many pieces who "fit in" better than Jagr.
