Phanatic Hockey Editor
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Penguins withdrew their one-year contract offer to Jaromir Jagr, the Philadelphia Flyers stepped in to sign the former NHL superstar.
The Pens appeared to be on the verge of enticing Jagr back to North America when general manager Ray Shero confirmed that $2 million deal late Tuesday, adding that Jagr had until Wednesday to either accept or decline the offer.
However, after hearing nothing from the 39-year-old for three days, the deal was retracted Friday morning.
The Red Wings, rumored to be in the mix, apparently dropped out as soon as the club re-signed Patrick Eaves, Jonathan Ericsson and Drew Miller, leaving Philadelphia as the lone serious bidder.
Multiple sources reported the pact is for one year at $3.3 million dollars.
"It sort of just started innocently yesterday," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren explained Friday. "I just sent a text to Petr Svoboda, his agent ... and I didn't know who was involved. "So we're excited to have Jaromir. He's going to bring a lot of leadership and we still believe he's a guy that's capable of putting up a fair amount of points."
Jagr has spent the last three seasons with Avangard Omsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. In 155 games, he posted 66 goals and 146 points.
A feared offensive threat, the native of the Czech Republic departed the National Hockey League after a 25-goal, 71-point campaign with the New York Rangers in 2007-08.
"Jagr is one of the better players at the cycle game that there is. He’s a big strong guy who can really control the puck in the offensive zone, and he’s a big body in front of the net too," Holmgren added. "He’s still a good player, and people forget, I think because he’s been away from the NHL for three years, that he’s been playing and been playing at a fairly high level."
Jagr was the selected by the Pens with the fifth overall pick in the 1990 draft, and played the first 11 seasons of his storied career in the Steel City, under the tutelage of superstar Mario Lemieux.
His finest season with Pittsburgh came in 1995-96, totaling 62 goals and 149 points in 82 games, finishing second in the league scoring race to Lemieux. Jagr was named captain prior to the 1998-99 season, and
remained in that role until Lemieux was once again named to the post in 2001.
After a 121-point campaign in 2000-01, the Penguins encountered financial difficulties and Jagr was shipped in a five-player deal to the Washington Capitals, where he spent two-plus seasons before he was traded to New York.
All told, the five-time Art Ross Trophy winner scorched NHL goaltenders for 646 goals and 1,599 points in 1,273 games with the Penguins, Capitals and Rangers.
Jagr was a favorite target of Flyers fans, specifically in the mid-to-late 1990s when he sported a flowing poodle-like mullet. Particularly when the Penguins came to the Spectrum, the crowd would erupt into loud cat whistles. Chris Therien made his reputation in the NHL as the one defender assigned to Jagr, and spent years frustrating the winger.
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