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Just last night we reported that Jaromir Jagr felt uneasy about his future with the New Jersey Devils and didn’t know what was to come next. His major concerns were playoff contention and ice time, so for him, those two aspects were important if he were to leave.
This afternoon, the Florida Panthers acquired the five-time NHL scoring champion for a third-round draft pick in the 2015 NHL draft. Both teams announced the trade late this afternoon.
Jagr’s former team will have the choice of either Florida’s third-rounddraft pick in 2016 or Minnesota’s third-round draft pick in 2016, which the Panthers previously acquired in a deal earlier in the week.
The Panthers will pick up the full remainder of the right wing’s $3.5 million salary, but his old team is responsible for his $2 million games-played bonus which he already achieved.
After celebrating his 43rd birthday earlier this month, at his age he may not seem like a player any team should have acquired at this point, but his experience may be just what his new team needs. Hopefully, Jagr will have his ice time wishes fulfilled and with a new member of his stature on the team, the Panthers could potentially see a playoff spot in seasons to come.
