There’s a way to do business, and there’s a way the Habs do business. They like to keep it quiet and under the radar. Jagr/Svoboda aren’t doing themselves favours by being so public about this.

I don’t like “the system”. You’ve read my stuff before so you know I can’t stand Martin and the way he has the Candiens playing. But he & Gauthier are as stubborn and unshakeable a duo as there is. They don’t waver or veer course. Martin’s system does handicap the system, and it’s not ok, but that’s the reality. He and Gauthier are building towards something in their own way and Jagr doesn’t fit that vision.

The pecking order would be out the door if Jagr were brought in. He’s too imposing a presence, whether he wanted to be or not.

While he’s a first ballot hall of famer, that was a long time ago. The Canadiens need guys who can play both ends of the rink, hard. Jagr can’t.

I know you were with me on the “say no to Guerin” last year, but frankly, I think Guerin would have made a better fit last year than Jagr does this year.

Couldn’t disagree more, Prax.

If Jagr was happy to come to Montreal, he wouldn’t have initiated contact with Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York, etc. If he really wanted to be in Montreal, he would have exhausted that option before moving on to other teams.

We may not like the way Gauthier and Martin work at times, but there’s a 0% chance that Gauthier brings in such a large presence without a deep discussion with Martin. What happens the first time Martin asks Jagr to dump the puck in instead of carrying it? #1- Jagr sulks. #2- Whatever effectiveness he had is now gone. Martin won’t change his system. Let’s just accept that and live with the reality.

His presence is a VERY real threat to team chemistry because of his moodiness.

There is TONS of downside in having Jagr here. He’s 39! What makes us think he can just step back in after 3 years out of the NHL and potentially double his workload in a much tougher league? It’s folly. If the Habs needed help on the powerplay, I’d say do it. But they don’t. In fact, they’re a top team with the man advantage. They need 5-on-5 help, and Jagr does not help that. The Habs need toughness and grit. He doesn’t bring that either.

Where’s the upside? There is none.

Hi Jan,

Thanks for your thoughtful comment! I agree with you in that the Habs need scoring depth. But I think the potential distractions that come with a guy like Jagr in a place like Montreal is too much of a risk to bother taking the gamble.

Jagr does protect the puck well, and he still has hands, but the Habs BADLY need grit and sandpaper among the top 6. Another year of relying on the smaller guys to do the dirty work in their prime years is another year wasted. Pacioretty is not enough, and Kostitsyn is ill-suited for that role. The Canadiens need a team that has can the likes of the Bruins on the scoreboard as well as in the physical battle department.

I know that when comparing careers, Jagr vs Kovalev is no contest. But at this late stage, they are largely on the same level from where I see things, and as I mentioned, at least we know Kovalev’s “heart” is already here in Montreal. As enigmatic as he is, it’s got to be worth something to him. (But to be clear, I don’t want either player back). Jagr *might* hit 60 points with Plekanec and Cammalleri…Kovalev probably wouldn’t fare much worse. But neither address the issue of toughness and even strength scoring. But on top of that I think for most fans, 60 points would be considered a disappointment. I think a lot of fans are still thinking about the mulleted Jagr from 14 years ago, or even 6 years ago. He’s not that guy anymore and we both know that. We also know how Montreal fans treat players that don’t live up to expectations.

It is true that it’s a thin free agent market this summer. Therefore if Gauthier were to sign Jagr for a year (provided it were for no more than 2.5 million), I wouldn’t lose any sleep, but I very much feel like it would be another year of the same old, same old if this is the road we go down.

Finally, the coup de grace that really kills this for me is twofold: the workload and rigors of the NHL vs KHL and the defensive requirements a player is mandated to perform under Jacques Martin. How long would it take before Jagr’s unwillingness (or inability) to play hard without the puck creates controversy and starts having a negative effect on Plekanec and Cammalleri?

Lastly…if Jagr really wants to be here (and isn’t just posturing or leveraging to get top dollar from someone else) then he won’t mind waiting a while. Gauthier can look for the better fit elsewhere and if Jagr is still available, go get him then. But I don’t see this being much more than a sideways move for the Habs, and it’s more likely a step back than it is a step forward.

As for your lines, sure they look good. But where’s Moen? Where’s Darche? Where’s Desharnais? Where’s White, Where’s Pyatt? I think we’re dreaming a bit (both of us) if we think the look of the forwards will be drastically altered from last year. As much as I’d love to see Eller with Kostitsyn, Moen is likely the other winger on that line, While White, Desharnais and Darche round out the fourth line.

I really appreciate opposing comments and viewpoints like yours. It helps making blogging worth while and I hope to see you again!

Genius? That’s lofty praise, but who am I to turn it down! ; )

What drives me nuts is the “yeah but” crowd.

“Yeah but if the Canadiens had scored one more goal, they would have beaten Boston and won the Cup”
“Yeah but if Markov/Gorges/Pacioretty were around…”
“Yeah but all the non-calls…”

There’s truth to some of those arguments, but it does nothing but disguise and exonerate the fatal flaw of this team: They can’t score at even strength and they lack the size & toughness to make deep cup runs. The fact that they made some noise last year was an aberration. The Bruins needed a legendary performance from Tim Thomas in order to win the cup, and they also needed superb even strength production. Special teams will always be keys to victory, but until you have the basics wrapped up, it’s more “lipstick on a pig”.

Thanks for reading buddy!

Kostitsyn is a pure sniper, yet he’s asked to do things that don’t suit his style. But he does them anyway because he’s the only guy that can; digging in the corners, being the physical presence. He would be best served as the guy who was looked to to simply shoot. He spent the majority of the the season with Plekanec and Cammalleri. He also spent significant time in the black hole with Gomez, and yes, he was in the doghouse on the 4th line at one point, but it was relatively brief. His best fit is with Eller, and I hope he stays there while Gauthier finds a better option for the top-6. But failing that, AK is a much better fit with the Habs than Jagr, IMO. He’s younger, less of a distraction and we know he can play a full 82-game schedule. The same cannot be said for Jagr anymore with any degree of confidence. Good debating, Sean!

Thanks for reading, Sean. I don’t think you’re alone in taking Jagr over Kostitsyn. But at least Kostitsyn knows the system and is 1 of 2 guys among the top 6 forwards who can throw a hit.