Report: Jaromir Jagr signs one-year deal with New Jersey Devils

Jaromir Jagr is hardly Ilya Kovalchuk, but he could prove to be useful for the Devils. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

It's been rumored for days. Now, it's all but official: Jaromir Jagr is only one punch away from filling out his old Atlantic Division card. (All he needs now is to sign on with the Islanders.) The 41-year-old star has reportedly inked a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, delaying his retirement yet again.

No surprise that it was the Devils who stepped up here. There weren't many teams that had both the cap space and the need for Jagr.

https://twitter.com/Real_ESPNLeBrun/status/359329077045366785

New Jersey fit the bill. The Devils were desperate for a player who has some panache after Ilya Kovalchuk defected to the KHL earlier this month. And at just one year (no terms have been released), they're hardly joined at the hip with the aging forward. It's a limited-risk deal.

Still, what Jagr brings to the table in no way resembles what was lost when Kovy bolted. No speed. No heavy shot. No point presence on the power play. No intimidation factor. So, basically, that limited risk comes with limited reward.

Well, limited for now, anyway.

Stars

Lane MacDermid