Panthers Acquire Veteran Jaromir Jagr For Playoff Push
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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The Florida Panthers made a big move on Thursday to help bolster their squad that is trying to make the playoffs for just the second time since the year 2000.
With the NHL trade dealing coming up on Monday, the Panthers got a head start and acquired veteran scorer Jaromir Jagr from the New Jersey Devils.
In exchange for the 43-year-old former Stanley Cup champion, Florida sent 2nd round pick in the 2015 draft and a conditional 3rd round pick in the 2016 draft to the Devils.
Jagr has scored 11 goals and 29 points in 57 games with New Jersey this season but grown unhappy with the team due to a lack of ice time, which started after Peter DeBoer was fired as their coach in late December. DeBoer is also a former head coach of the Panthers.
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 5th overall selection in 1990, Jagr has been one of the best pure scorers in the NHL throughout his career.
He currently ranks 5th all-time in NHL history in points with 1,784, 6th in goals with 716, 7th in assists with 1,068 and 1st in game winning goals with 127. He's logged 1,530 career regular-season games during his 22-year career that has seen him play for eight different NHL teams, including the Panthers.
Jagr could very well end up being a perfect fit with the Panthers. He has become known as a great mentor for younger players, which Florida currently has more than a few of. He's also got a knack for scoring goals and making the players around him better, something that the Panthers could certainly use in their push for a playoff spot.
Speaking of the playoffs, Jagr has played in 202 career postseason games, racking up 78 goals and 121 assists. He helped the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 1991 and 1992 and also has won an Olympic gold medal at the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan.
Jagr made his NHL debut on October 5, 1990, three years before the Panthers franchise played it's first game in the league.
(Follow David on Twitter: @DavidDwork)