At the age of 44, Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr isn’t lighting up the scoresheet like he did last season (where he posted 66 points) but interim head coach Tom Rowe is quite pleased with Jagr’s overall performance, he told Dave Caldwell of the New York Times:
“He’s done everything we’ve expected. He’s going to get his points — he’s going to end up with 40, 45, maybe 50 points this year. And the fact that he’s in the locker room every day and our young guys have a chance to watch him not just for games but practices as well is a great addition for our roster and a great addition for our young kids.”
Through 43 games this season, Jagr, who turns 45 next month, has just seven goals which puts him on pace for the lowest total of his career. While part of the reason for his struggles can be attributed to his age, the fact that the Panthers have been without Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Nick Bjugstad – among others – for extended periods of time hasn’t helped either as their injuries have thrust a lot more pressure and responsibility onto Jagr.
The veteran of 1,672 career NHL games is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and has suggested in the past that he’d like to try to play until he is 50. Last year, he opted to forego free agency and signed an extension with the Panthers. If Florida struggles in the coming weeks, they could potentially entertain the possibility of trading him as a rental player if no new contract has been agreed upon by then as well so his situation will be one to watch in the weeks ahead.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- The Senators and Zack Smith’s camp have engaged in preliminary discussions regarding a contract extension, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. Smith is currently making $2.3MM this year (with a cap hit just below $1.9MM) and is slated to be a UFA on July 1st. The center noted that there’s no rush to get a new deal done and that he feels there is mutual interest in finding a way to keep him around. Smith has 17 points (9-8-7) in 37 games this year and has a chance at surpassing his career high 36 points from last season.
- Still with Ottawa, progress continues to be made regarding a potential outdoor game to be held in December, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. While at one point there appeared to be a mid-January deadline to reach an agreement for this game, that deadline no longer is in place. While there were hopes that this game could be played at Parliament Hill, those talks fell through and as a result, Ottawa’s CFL stadium is expected to host the game which will feature the Senators and the Montreal Canadiens.
- Buffalo forward Tyler Ennis is getting closer to returning to the lineup after going through some tough skating drills at practice but will not be in the lineup tonight against Tampa Bay, notes Amy Moritz of the Buffalo News. Ennis has been out of the lineup since November 8th after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia and has just a goal and an assist in 12 games so far this season, certainly not the type of production they were hoping for from a player with a $4.6MM cap hit.