Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
It does not seem that Jaromir Jagr will be around next season for the Boston Bruins. That is according to Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. And it is not difficult to understand why.
Jagr will be 42 years old next season and was beginning to show it. Although the veteran tallied 17 assists during his time with the Bruins, his goals added up to two during his complete time here, none of which were in the playoffs. This kind of production will not cut it for the Bruins who are competing for the Stanley Cup. However, he did show some of his old brilliance at times. During the Pittsburgh Penguins series, he and Evgeni Malkin battled it out along the boards, holding the puck up well and making good passes for shots on goal. Jagr himself took plenty of shots, but none of them would connect.
The Bruins may respect Jaromir Jagr, an NHL legend, but they can not afford to be sentimental, especially in trying to retain players under the salary cap. Re-signing starting goalie Tuuka Rask is the priority and will eat up most of the cap space. The Bruins already had to reluctantly let Andrew Ference go.
Maybe Jagr will retire with a deep playoff run under his belt. If there was a time he would lift the Stanley Cup trophy, it would be this year with a shortened season and a strong team around him. However, he probably won’t retire. At a Bruins press conference Wednesday, he said he wants to keep playing in the NHL before going back to the Czech Republic. Whatever decision he makes, it’s hard not to wish him the best of luck moving forward.
Tim N. is a Boston Bruins writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @timnikolou, or add him to your network on Google
