Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Is It Time to Trade Jagr?

That's the question Scott Burnside asks at ESPN.com...

"...the Rangers now must consider something more dramatic, possibly stunning, if they are going to get back in the Stanley Cup game.

And if general manager Glen Sather is considering such a move, that consideration begins and ends with Jagr...

...the economics of the new NHL suggest Jagr, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, is the most logical piece to move. It goes without saying that there would be a market for a player of Jagr's immense talent, even in the face of this surprisingly disappointing season.

A team like the Colorado Avalanche, for instance, desperate to make the playoffs and wracked by injuries to top players Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth, might be interested. The Avs have been rumored to be looking to move puck-moving defenseman John-Michael Liles, a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic team.

How about Jagr with the San Jose Sharks, where general manager Doug Wilson isn't afraid of a blockbuster deal and has some assets to move? Or even the Vancouver Canucks, where the Sedin brothers still need someone to play alongside them and some defensive depth could be moved?..."

...the further the Rangers slide out of the playoff picture the more this could become a reality. But as long as the Rangers are within striking distance of a playoff spot I would be shocked if Sather traded Jagr.

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