Panthers offense reached new heights with addition of Jaromir Jagr
When the Florida Panthers acquired Jaromir Jagr prior to last season's trade deadline, many speculated as to what the veteran forward could bring to an emergent franchise in the midst of a heated playoff push.
In 20 games with the Panthers, Jagr looked revitalized playing on a line alongside 19-year-old Aleksander Barkov and 21-year-old Jonathan Huberdeau, recording six goals and 18 points as Florida's once-anemic offense netted a respectable 2.80 goals per game on average.
"[When] I got traded here, I didn't know how good this team is or how good this organization is,'' Jagr said after cleaning out his locker at the BB&T Center in April. "I'm thankful I had a chance to play these last 20 games here and give me a little bit of my life.
"There are a lot of people that thought I was done and those young guys give me extra energy, extra life and I'm glad I can continue to play."
For as much credit as Jagr gives to Barkov and Huberdeau for breathing new life into his already storied career, the budding duo owes just as much thanks in return. With Jagr on their line, Barkov notched seven goals and 15 points while Huberdeau added six goals and 21 points.
"They look confident, Jagr has had a lot to do with that," Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant said of Jagr's influence on his youthful linemates. "The last two months, those kids have played really well together. They took another step since Jagr got here in the trade and they feel confident and they're going out every time. I think they have a chance to score every time they go on the ice."
In hindsight, it's almost torturous to imagine how well Florida would have fared last season if Jagr had only arrived sooner. The Panthers posted a 12-7-1 record when the future Hall of Famer was in the lineup and looked as if they were capable of going toe-to-toe with any team in the league.
The Panthers had already been making great strides in distancing themselves from their forlorn past, but it wasn't until Jagr's arrival that the organization truly took a giant leap forward in terms of both on-ice development and national relevance.
"People have started to realize, at least what I heard, was this is a different team, these are the different Florida Panthers," said Jagr. "We have a lot of talent, a lot of speed. We can beat anybody."
WHAT HE DID RIGHT
Although he has admittedly lost a step or two with age, Jagr remains one of the best puck-possession forwards in the league. With his meticulously crafted 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame, he can still fend off opposing players with ease when the puck is on his stick in the offensive zone. His ability to win battles along the boards and willingness to play in the dirty areas not only generates offense for himself, but also often leads to his teammates being left unattended and open for scoring chances.
WHERE HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE
Honestly, it's really hard to find any flaws in Jagr's game during his brief tenure with the Panthers. Even on the power play -- an area the Panthers struggled mightily with last season -- he registered two goals and four points in 20 games. To put that in perspective, Barkov and Huberdeau notched only three goals with the extra attacker in 150 combined games last season.
BEST GAME
March 29 at Ottawa. With Florida's playoff hopes on the line, Jagr scored two goals, including the game winner, to lead the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the Senators. The win pulled the Panthers within a point of Ottawa for ninth place in the Eastern Conference and, at the time, made a late-season miracle seem possible. It was Jagr's only multi-goal game with the Panthers and first since Jan. 3 when he was still on the Devils.
"It's our line's job to score goals, and luckily we did it," Jagr told reporters after the game. "This was a Game 7 for us."
ADVANCED STATISTICS
When Jagr was on the ice, opposing goaltenders were often playing under duress. As a member of the Panthers, Jagr's Corsi For (55.62 percent) and Fenwick For (53.71) ratings at even strength were heads and tails above the majority of his teammates. While a 20-game sample size isn't ideal when determining a skater's ability to drive possession, it's safe to say that those numbers aren't a fluke.
GOAL OF THE YEAR
LOOKING AHEAD
Jagr will be back for at least one more season in the NHL after signing a one-year contract with the Panthers on April 12. While there's always the possibility that each new season will be his last, Jagr has often said that he would like to play until he's 50 and, until he actually hangs up his skates, there's no reason for any of us to believe that he's joking.
"When hockey starts to be my job, I'm not going to play anymore," Jagr said. "It's got to be fun for me. I've got to love it."
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
