Jaromir Jagr signs to defy Father Time with the Calgary Flames this season

Jaromir Jagr’s unsigned summer is finally over. An NHL team has reportedly come to its senses and signed the ageless wonder.

The latest argument between hockey fans with eyes and those focused on age has come to an end. Jaromir Jagr has secured himself another NHL contract, this time a one-year deal with the Calgary Flames. This is easily the steal of the summer for a team looking to change for a playoff spot.

While the Flames organization hasn’t yet confirmed the signing, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted out this morning that Jagr to Calgary was a done deal. The reported contract for Jagr comes in at one-year, $1 million with $1 million in bonuses.

Giving this small amount of money to someone who is undeniably a top-nine forward nothing short of highway robbery.

Jagr’s play has not faltered over the years, but for the analytically-inclined, the numbers favor Jagr, too, and show he is still a solid forward worthy of playing in the NHL. He was second on the Florida Panthers team last season in individual scoring chances for (158 – only one behind Vincent Trocheck), the most individual high-definition chances for (68) and was in the top three to five in every other offensive and possession category.

Moreover, his individual numbers have stayed relatively stable throughout the last few seasons, so there is every reason they will in 2017-18 as well. And for someone expected to play on the third line for the Flames, this is a fantastic signing for any team’s bottom six.

While these numbers aren’t the be-all, end-all of the signing-Jagr debate, they make it less than understandable on why it took so long for him to get a contract.

For the Flames, Jagr is expected to play with Kris Versteeg and Sam Bennetton on what will be a very skilled third line. This could be the kind of forward depth that Calgary needs to push themselves into the Stanley Cup Playoffs again this season.

While it isn’t something the Flames will be relying on, Jagr also has the ability to be a 40-50 point scorer. His 16 goals and 30 assists, while in the top six of the Panthers, will be a good benchmark on which to judge Jagr. With players like Versteeg and Bennett as possible linemates, the 40-point mark is well within reach for Jagr.

The one point against him is that, with age, he is slowing down. He is not the speedy skater he used to be. And with the NHL continually getting faster and faster, this could rightly worry some front offices.

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Despite that concern, Jagr is still a decent enough skater to get the job done and has a hockey IQ that is arguably unmatched. And again, he’s coming in for virtually nothing on just a one-year deal. This is a no-risk, high-reward kind of situation for the Flames.

Look for Jagr to fill in on that extremely skilled third line, possibly get a bit of time in the top six here and there and continue to show why age is just a number.