What happened to Jagr in Washington?

Passchendaele

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Dec 11, 2006
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I was a bit young back then, so I didn't pay too much attention.

Later I just assumed he never wanted to be there in the first place (hence why he went back to his usual self after leaving for NYC).

He was only 29 when he joined the Caps, finished 5th in scoring in his first season (on pace for 94 points in 82 games -- right behind Iginla) which is somewhat underwhelming.

Then you have 2002-03, when powerplays and scoring went up (somewhat), McPhee signed his buddy Robert Lang on the FA market to play with him, and Jagr was worse, barely breaking a PPG pace (despite having a seven-point game somewhere in there). 2003-04 is hardly worth speaking of, the Caps ended up (literally) giving him away for Anson Carter (who was swaped for Jared Aulin a month later).

Of course, we know the rest of the story. Jags was the favorite to win the scoring championship along with the Hart for the vast majority of 2005-06.
 

Speedtrials

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It was widely reported that he really wanted to go to the Rangers. In the NY papers it was almost a given he and Hull were both going to the Rangers that offseason. It was pretty obvious in Jagr's last season with the Rangers, when they were no longer catering the franchise around him, he pretty much mailed it in that regular season. He did play like a beast in those playoffs though. So I don't know if he just wasn't thrilled to go to Washington and gave the same lackluster effort.
 

The Panther

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See: Esposito, Gretzky, Stastny, etc. A lot of top-scorers' numbers go marginally down after being traded in their late primes. It's hard to start again with new people, new system, new linemates, new coach, new everything.

In Jagr's case, I think one factor was teammates on the power play. His last three seasons in Pittsburgh (225 games), he had 80 assists on the power play. His almost-three seasons in Washington (190 games), he had 43 assists on the power play. So, that difference probably lessened his stats by 10 points per season right there.

As you note, his first season there he performed quite well, being 3rd NHL in points-per-game. It was just a really low-scoring period.

And his last (partial) season in Washington, the whole team just bottomed out (hence they could draft Ovechkin). It's hard to put up big points when you're on a .360 team that's 27th in offence.
 

Czech Your Math

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It was widely reported that he really wanted to go to the Rangers. In the NY papers it was almost a given he and Hull were both going to the Rangers that offseason. It was pretty obvious in Jagr's last season with the Rangers, when they were no longer catering the franchise around him, he pretty much mailed it in that regular season. He did play like a beast in those playoffs though. So I don't know if he just wasn't thrilled to go to Washington and gave the same lackluster effort.

His last season in NY, he led the team in points at age 35-36, after having no chemistry with Gomez. That was the third straight year that he led them in points and that they made the playoffs, following a 9 year drought. He led the league in playoff pts/PPG after two rounds in '08 after being 3rd (Nylander 1st) in '07 playoffs. Not sure what you mean by "catering the franchise around him" since a hapless team that had not been able to make the playoffs for many years with the likes of Messier, Lindros, Bure, Leetch, Richter, etc. probably took suggestions from Jagr and picked up cheap free agents like Nylander, Straka, Rozsival and Malik to make up a first unit that played extremely well together. Jagr wanted them to keep Nylander and add a good defenseman after '07, but instead they let Nylander go and added Gomez & Drury, followed soon after by Redden & Naslund. I understand not wanting to give Nylander a long contract at that age, but that's why Jagr's points dropped so drastically in '08.

Washington years were probably a combination of things:
* Height of the dead puck era, very low scoring with all the clutch/grab/hook/hold/slash going on.
* Turned 30 in '02, when players are very rarely at their peak.
* Injured to start '00-01 season, injured in '01 POs, injured during '01-02 season.
* Lack of focus (his accountant stole millions, gambling, wanting to play in NY, etc.).
* Lack of chemistry with Oates & Ron Wilson.
* Unrealistic expectations: You can't expect a 30+ y/o Jagr to lead an aging core, which he routinely dispatched in the playoffs with Pitt, to glory.

From '02-04, he was 5th in points (12 behind Thornton for 2nd).
 

Speedtrials

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His last season in NY, he led the team in points at age 35-36, after having no chemistry with Gomez. That was the third straight year that he led them in points and that they made the playoffs, following a 9 year drought. He led the league in playoff pts/PPG after two rounds in '08 after being 3rd (Nylander 1st) in '07 playoffs. Not sure what you mean by "catering the franchise around him" since a hapless team that had not been able to make the playoffs for many years with the likes of Messier, Lindros, Bure, Leetch, Richter, etc. probably took suggestions from Jagr and picked up cheap free agents like Nylander, Straka, Rozsival and Malik to make up a first unit that played extremely well together. Jagr wanted them to keep Nylander and add a good defenseman after '07, but instead they let Nylander go and added Gomez & Drury, followed soon after by Redden & Naslund. I understand not wanting to give Nylander a long contract at that age, but that's why Jagr's points dropped so drastically in '08.

Washington years were probably a combination of things:
* Height of the dead puck era, very low scoring with all the clutch/grab/hook/hold/slash going on.
* Turned 30 in '02, when players are very rarely at their peak.
* Injured to start '00-01 season, injured in '01 POs, injured during '01-02 season.
* Lack of focus (his accountant stole millions, gambling, wanting to play in NY, etc.).
* Lack of chemistry with Oates & Ron Wilson.
* Unrealistic expectations: You can't expect a 30+ y/o Jagr to lead an aging core, which he routinely dispatched in the playoffs with Pitt, to glory.

From '02-04, he was 5th in points (12 behind Thornton for 2nd).

Jagr was clearly frustrated they did not bring back Nylander and he basically refused to try to make it work with Drury or Gomez that year. His preferred center was a rookie Brandon Dubinsky. If he would have hit his standard of 30 goals that year he would have been locked in for another year of his salary he had been making. Since he did not get to 30 he was able to cash in when he went to the KHL, which is where it was presumed he was going. As a Ranger fan who went through those Dark Ages I will always be grateful for Jagr getting us out of them. That being said his last year with us, you could see a change in his attitude.
 

BobRouse

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It wasn’t the players around him. It was him. He didn’t really want to be there and was at the apex of his pouting.

He admitted he dogged it in DC. He tore the locker room apart to the point where guys like Konowalchuck and Witt didn’t want to be in DC anymore. Kono requested a trade. Witt stayed a bit but he was sour.

A lot of people here have made excuses for his time in DC. Jagr showed up once every 4 or 5 games at best in terms of effort.
 

BobRouse

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Who were his linemates? Bondra and Oates?

First year it was a combo of Oates and Zubrus as his centers.

They got Lang but it was Nylander the following year which was a step up from his first and last year in terms of effort.

The guy mailed it in during his tenure here
 

Big Phil

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I honestly thought it was a weird fit. Maybe he was stung a little with Mario being back, but all of the sudden the Penguins were a (somewhat) contending team again in 2001. Why leave that? He may have wanted to have the glory to himself and have it be more of "his" team, but in all honesty it still would have been. Mario missed a ton of time in 2002 and 2004. Only in 2003 did he have something close to a full season.
 

Albatros

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I honestly thought it was a weird fit. Maybe he was stung a little with Mario being back, but all of the sudden the Penguins were a (somewhat) contending team again in 2001. Why leave that? He may have wanted to have the glory to himself and have it be more of "his" team, but in all honesty it still would have been. Mario missed a ton of time in 2002 and 2004. Only in 2003 did he have something close to a full season.

How much could the Penguins have paid him while still maintaining that roster?
 

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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I honestly thought it was a weird fit. Maybe he was stung a little with Mario being back, but all of the sudden the Penguins were a (somewhat) contending team again in 2001. Why leave that? He may have wanted to have the glory to himself and have it be more of "his" team, but in all honesty it still would have been. Mario missed a ton of time in 2002 and 2004. Only in 2003 did he have something close to a full season.

I don't think that Jagr viewed Lemieux coming back as a negative. He took back his trade request after Lemieux told him about the impending comeback.
 
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Big Phil

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I don't think that Jagr viewed Lemieux coming back as a negative. He took back his trade request after Lemieux told him about the impending comeback.

So what was it? You've got some support now on your team and you don't have to be the one to carry the whole load.
 

Albatros

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Mario didn't have annual ten million or more for Jágr as much as he might have wanted to play with him. For Jágr taking a pay cut at a time when he had financial worries of his own also couldn't have been very attractive.
 

BobRouse

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Mar 18, 2009
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This strikes me as rumor, not fact. Any sources?

It’s hard to dig up the exact sources at this point but I think any hardcore Caps fan from the era can say the same.

I’ll try and dig up articles. Any specific item I mentioned that you referred to?


Jagr did admit he dogged it according to Witt. Konowalchuck was the Captain and requested a trade.

And then there was Bruce Cassidy...
 

BraveCanadian

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Jun 30, 2010
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I honestly thought it was a weird fit. Maybe he was stung a little with Mario being back, but all of the sudden the Penguins were a (somewhat) contending team again in 2001. Why leave that? He may have wanted to have the glory to himself and have it be more of "his" team, but in all honesty it still would have been. Mario missed a ton of time in 2002 and 2004. Only in 2003 did he have something close to a full season.

It probably didn't help that Lemieux threw Jagr under the bus in the playoffs.

Pretty sure the Pens were happy to dump his salary when he left so they could finish bottoming out the payroll and trying to save the franchise in Pittsburgh.
 

BobRouse

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Then, Witt said it, not Jagr, right...?

Jagr admitted to it I’m almost certain. He had a lot of problems during that time with ex gf, Gambling debts and the IRS.

I’m on it but it is hard to find the right articles from that time frame.

George McPhee didn’t want him. He was on vacation and Ted called him telling him he basically framed parameters of a trade. McPhee warned him about Mogilny trade disaster when he was in Vancouver (peca trade)

There was a ton of information if you followed the Caps as closely as a lot of the old crew I knew did back then. Mostly on ESPN boards
 

Marc the Habs Fan

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Jagr admitted to it I’m almost certain. He had a lot of problems during that time with ex gf, Gambling debts and the IRS.

I’m on it but it is hard to find the right articles from that time frame.

George McPhee didn’t want him. He was on vacation and Ted called him telling him he basically framed parameters of a trade. McPhee warned him about Mogilny trade disaster when he was in Vancouver (peca trade)

There was a ton of information if you followed the Caps as closely as a lot of the old crew I knew did back then. Mostly on ESPN boards

Here is an article that makes it seem like McPhee was all in (I guess he had to say it)...

Trading Up With only two teams trying to deal for Jaromir Jagr, the Capitals gave up little--but paid a lot--to land him
 

BobRouse

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Here is an article that makes it seem like McPhee was all in (I guess he had to say it)...

Trading Up With only two teams trying to deal for Jaromir Jagr, the Capitals gave up little--but paid a lot--to land him

Yeah it was widely known in DC at the time that McPhee did not want the trade. We all knew it back then. McPhee didn’t fess up to it until he left the Caps

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-trade-was-a-bad-idea/?utm_term=.326335dd5435
 

vadim sharifijanov

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Oct 10, 2007
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i remembered this from an old thread—

Jagr's struggles didn't start as soon as he put on the Capitals jersey, they started in his last season with the Penguins. He looked uninspired, and it wasn't until Lemieux announced his comeback did Jagr start playing well again. Jagr had a hattrick against the Canadiens the very night Lemieux announced his comeback. So I do agree that Jagr spent 30% of the season underachieving.

This goes back to Jagr struggling with depression around that time. His gf/ fiancée of 5 years broke up with him prior to 2000-01, and Jagr would not quite be the same again until he found new energy during the lockout playing for his home team and then Omsk.
 

BobRouse

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Mar 18, 2009
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These are scraps I came up with:

Nikolishin on Jagr falling out with Oates

Andrei Nikolishin Talks About His Time With the Capitals, Says Jaromir Jagr “Very Emotional and Vulnerable”

Jagr sucking and suddenly playing well and being a great teammate after McPhee tells him they won’t be able to find a team to trade him for until he plays better:

What's The Deal With Jaromir Jagr? After a mediocre run in Washington the high-priced, enigmatic star has suddenly perked up at the prospect of playing elsewhere--if only another team would take him
 

Big Phil

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Yeah it was widely known in DC at the time that McPhee did not want the trade. We all knew it back then. McPhee didn’t fess up to it until he left the Caps

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-trade-was-a-bad-idea/?utm_term=.326335dd5435

You get that a lot. I don't know why GMs do this, to save their job I guess. Sather did the same thing with Gretzky. I remember an interview in 1993 when a reporter directly asked Sather if it bothered him that Pocklington meddled in things to get Gretzky traded. Sather, in very unconvincing fashion said, "No, not at all, he is owner of the team he can do what he wants."

Then when Sather is gone years later and that documentary, "A King's Ransom" pops up he talks about how much he hated that trade and how he wouldn't have traded him for a whole team.
 
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