Bold prediction: The Flames go on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups and Jagr retires after posing with Sam Bennet to recreate his infamous picture with Mario Lemieux.
I can picture it now sam rocking out with a mullet .EPIC
Imagine how mad oiler fans will be on Wednesday when the broadcast has to take time that they would normally use to fellate mcdavid and use it to talk about Jagr!
Western division fans should be happy that they get to see Jagr play more than two times a year. I just feel spoiled that I get to watch a living legend play a full season for my favourite team.
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Jagr will add a huge dynamic up front and in the locker room. That's a bargain for what he signed today.
I think he will look great with Gaudreau and Monahan. When Jagr left NYR to go to the KHL, he stated that the players that the Rangers acquired to lead them - Drury and Gomez - were "North-South players that like to attack with a lot of speed" and Jagr didn't mesh with that. Monahan is not a barn burner, and though Gaudreau is quick, he does a good job of slowing down the game (for instance, gaining the zone and doing that button-hook). I think Jagr would really gel nicely with that line. Maybe some of you don't feel like Ferland makes for a very good top-line RW (I disagree), but there is no rationale for having Frolik-Ferland (Versteeg actually, as I would assume Ferland moves back to the LW) - Brouwer after that. That is proper slotting.
If Jagr does get paired with Bennett, I think Bennett is really smart and will adjust his game to that of Jagr. Versteeg is not a speedster out there either, and Bennett seems to have developed decent chemistry with him.
At any rate, I think this move can't go wrong. You are adding a lot of experience, a lot of leadership, and a lot of on-ice line-up flexibility. In a way, I am glad that none of the prospect RW'ers (Poirier and Foo) did enough to cement themselves a spot. It allows both of them to work on their game, and provide a tonne of depth for (hopefully) a long playoff run.
Flames are legitimately a better team today than they were yesterday. That's what matters. I am sure that with every record that Jagr takes (like GP), it will not only be exciting for us fans, but also for the players themselves. It will serve as a reminder to how hard you have to work to stay in this league.
I have always been a firm believer in that the more skill you incorporate onto the roster, the more skilled your other players become. Flames were incredibly bad at making and receiving passes right before the rebuild. They couldn't make a stretch pass to save their life, or what seemed like a 10ft pass even. Now I think they are one of the better passing teams in the league. Bringing Jagr in will hopefully further teach the players some tips and tricks.
Love this signing. I have been campaigning for it all off-season. Didn't want to get my hopes up, and what wonderful news to hear today!
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The other benefit of the Jagr signing is the culture impact he will have in the room. Jagr is known as being very committed to his craft and expecting the same from his teammates. Cant help but benefit guys like Bennett, Tkachuk, Jankowski etc.
Some Jagr quotes:
Quote:
“When I came into the league with Pittsburgh, I liked to work out, but I didn’t know how to work out,” he told the Daily News. “Paul Coffey told me, ‘You’re going to do everything I do.’
“You should have seen those crazy bastards working after games and practices. It was sick how they worked. (Ulf) Samuelsson, Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet, Coffey. They were all insane.”
Quote:
“Most people think when you are tired, you take a rest,” Jagr told the paper. “Coffey was the one who taught me, when you’re tired, that’s when you’ve got to work harder. Since your body is tired, you aren’t used to that. You’ll raise the level and next time your body won’t be tired.”
This is a video of his training regime in 2013
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FWIW:
John Shannon just ripping into Calgary for the signing, said we just got old and slow when every other division is going young and fast.
He did agree that no prospects gave us a hard choice, but said this is just for fantasy.
lol who cares? If he sucks we put him in the press box. Plus, he's gonna be playing like 12 mins a night. As if this signing is gonna be the reason for the Flames success/failure this year, not the defence or Mony/Johnny's production, not Ferland breaking out, not Brouwer having a bounce back year, not Smith providing the goaltending we need, not Gio/Brodie/Hamilton providing offense from the backend, not 3M having another great season.
None of those are important. What's important is that we signed a 3rd liner who will help the PP. John Shannon is an idiot. And he was before he said this. This just adds to the piles of evidence that already existed.
lol who cares? If he sucks we put him in the press box. Plus, he's gonna be playing like 12 mins a night. As if this signing is gonna be the reason for the Flames success/failure this year, not the defence or Mony/Johnny's production, not Ferland breaking out, not Brouwer having a bounce back year, not Smith providing the goaltending we need, not Gio/Brodie/Hamilton providing offense from the backend, not 3M having another great season.
None of those are important. What's important is that we signed a 3rd liner who will help the PP. John Shannon is an idiot. And he was before he said this. This just adds to the piles of evidence that already existed.
One player does not make a team suddenly slow, one older player does not make a team suddenly old
Shannon has had bitter old dude syndrome for a long time.
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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I was dead set against signing an over the hill player, but I have to admit, I'm excited to see Jagr in a Flames jersey. Not sure how it will pan out, but it will make for an interesting season. Now, are the Traveling Jagrs still considered "traveling"?
