JJ Expected To Sign With the Oilers?

According to famed HFboards poster Speedyturtle, the Oilers are poised to sign a free agent with the initials JJ… The discussion is here. Scroll down a bit.

I’ll be honest, I don’t frequent the Hockey’s Future forums as much as I used to and I probably should but I guess Speedy Turtle has been on the money before:

RE: HFboard poster:
-Called Paajarvi deal
-Chia coming to Edmonton
-Sekera signing
-Talbot re-signing

Now saying Jagr or Jokinen.

— Kris (@WildcardKH) July 7, 2017

He also called Bob Nicholson and Peter Chiarelli coming to Edmonton as well. https://t.co/MalCzOPA1c

— Kris (@WildcardKH) July 7, 2017

So as far-fetched as it would be to simply dismiss a forum post, this poster seems to have some serious connections. Perhaps a bit more than Treenas Oil if you will. I asked one of my sources last week and was told Jagr probably wasn’t coming. I think Jim Matheson echoed that sentiment.

Oilers likely not be interested in Jaromir Jagr even if he'll play forever, puts up 40-50 pts, could play PP. He likes to slow game down.

— Jim Matheson (@NHLbyMatty) July 6, 2017

So since trading Eberle, the Oilers are left with Strome, Puljujarvi, Kassian, Slepyshev, Pakarinen, possibly Caggiula and Draisaitl, and the newly signed Ty Rattie. They could use a veteran to play there and that brings us to the JJs.

JUSSI JOKINEN

Normally good for 40 points minimum, Jussi Jokinen, a 34-year-old left-shooting right-winger, only put up 28 points last season. Easily his worst year production-wise in nearly a decade. So that could be part of the reason he was cut loose by the Panthers this summer.

Is that the kind of player the Oilers need? Would he be an improvement on what the Oilers have now? He has a ton of experience and perhaps him being available to Jesse Puljujarvi would really help the Grinnin’ Finn blossom as Connor McDavid’s wingman.

JAROMIR JAGR

I don’t know if I need to go through all the reasons why I think that Jaromir Jagr would help the Oilers but here are a few:

• Experience
• History of improving young players (Giroux, Barkov/Huberdeau)
• Possession beast (Just check out the WOWY from last season)
• Chiarelli has a working relationship with him as he acquired him for the Bruins Cup run of 2013
• Has played with both Milan Lucic (2012/13) and Adam Larsson (2013-15)

A few things that might work against him:

• Age
• Western Conference travel
• Speed

At 45 years old, Jagr is still putting up around 40 pts per season… THAT IS INSANE!!! I’m not sure if he could handle top 6 minutes night in, night out in the Western Conference but he’s a guy that will make those around him better and at least one person would definitely benefit greatly in the same way Jonathan Marchessault did last season from playing with Jags. Maybe a player like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for example.

I just go back to the stories of how hard he works off the ice and how that has rubbed off on his teammates from previous teams and I can’t help but think how much that would help this young Oilers team. It’s too bad he didn’t come earlier when Hemsky was in Edmonton. Then again, that might’ve prevented the Oilers from drafting McDavid.

IF the Oilers are poised to really make a run for the Cup next year, I think my choice is Jagr for one year. The benefits outweigh the risk in my opinion and if you thought the McDavid jerseys sold well, Jagr jerseys will rival 97’s easily. I mean, a line of Lucic/Draisaitl/Jagr would be one of the heaviest in the league and how do you stop that in the offensive zone? Or a line of Nuge/McDavid/Jagr would cover all of the bases surely.

In the end, to see Jagr lift the Stanley Cup in an Oilers uniform, that would be priceless.

What do you think?