Jaromir Jagr is NHL MVP So Far

[EagerBeaver]

We have played approximately one third of the NHL season and if the vote were held at this time, the winner would be Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers.

Jagr is currently second in the NHL in scoring with 40 points, and is captain and undisputed leader of the overachieving, blue collar Rangers team, which has won 6 in a row and leads the Atlantic Division by 4 points over the heavily favored Philadelphia Flyers. Like Mark Messier 13 years ago, the 33 year old Jagr has been rejuvenated in New York, and is playing the finest hockey of his Hall of Fame career. Whether he, like the legendary Messier, can bring a Stanley Cup to New York remains to be seen. But the lights out goaltending of brilliant rookie Henrik Sundstrom, and the overall experience of the team, makes this goal a realistic possibility. It appears to me that the Rangers are receiving the best coaching job since Mike Keenan coached the team to the Cup in 1994.

I note that there are 3 players from the Ottawa Senators in the top 5 in NHL scoring: Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley. Although all 3 are having great years, you can't have 3 guys on one team playing great and expect one of them to be an MVP. They basically all cancel each other out in the voting.

That leaves one other MVP candidate, 2003 MVP Peter Forsberg, who is also in the NHL top 5 in scoring. However, Forsberg's Flyers are currently in second place, 4 points behind and looking up at Jagr's Rangers. End of analysis.

Jagr is MVP!

 

[Doc Holliday]

I have to agree with EB.....for now. The season is barely 2 months old. There is still lots of hockey to be played. Injuries to key players are likely to occur. Forsberg is injured again, and will continue to be in his injury-plagued career. The injury bug might also hit Jagr, who has had a variety of ailments in the past.

The key to winning the Hart Trophy (League MVP) usually has to do with how the player's team fares in the final standings. A player could win the scoring title (Art Ross Trophy), yet wouldn't stand a chance of winning the Hart if his team doesn't qualify for the playoffs. There is also the fact that the hockey reporters are the ones voting. In past years, Jagr hasn't exactly been a media favorite. He has a reputation of being a slacker, trouble-maker and team 'cancer'. This won't help his chances of getting the MVP nod. He had a so-so year the last year he played for the Rangers. The fact his career has been rejuvenated has more to do with the fact the NHL has become a flag-hockey league, than being a NY Ranger.

Personally, my vote today would go to Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators. This former Atlanta Thrasher has absolutely transformed the Senators into an offensive power-house, while his loss has been devastating to the struggling Atlanta Trashers.

It should be an interesting race......no doubt.

 

[EagerBeaver]

JaJ-

Jagr bleeds blue. If you went to a Rangers game and sat in the blue seats and made the same comments to Rangers fans, they would be in strong disagreement.

The new NHL rules have helped all the highly skilled offensive players, which is exactly what they were designed to do. In Jagr's case, however, he is playing with renewed vigor and commitment. Jagr won 2 Stanley Cups with the Penguins and is a proven winner. The problem in the past is that he played with teams that offered him a small stage on which to work. In New York he has a bigger stage and brighter lights and it has brought out the best in him, now that the team has given him some help.

Heatley is having a great year too, but Spezza and Alfredsson are having equally great years and you simply cannot pick an MVP where you have 3 great guys on one team. Jagr is the unquestioned main man on the Rangers. The Ottawa team has 3 "main man" players. There is no way you can ever have an MVP winner in such a situation.

 

[spin]

Heatley is having a great year too, but Spezza and Alfredsson are having equally great years and you simply cannot pick an MVP where you have 3 great guys on one team. Jagr is the unquestioned main man on the Rangers. The Ottawa team has 3 "main man" players. There is no way you can ever have an MVP winner in such a situation.

I have to disagree on this point, last year (well the last year there was hockey) Martin St.Louis won the Hart and he was on a team with 3 "main men" (St.Louis, Lecavalier, Richards).

If I'm giving out the Hart today, Heatley gets my vote - BUT if Jagr carries the Rangers into the playoffs then he is my MVP, sorry no playoffs no MVP.

Lets not forget Simon Gagne in this.

Spin

 

[EagerBeaver]

Spin,

I must admit that this is a good point. I forgot about St. Louis.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Jagr bleeds blue. If you went to a Rangers game and sat in the blue seats and made the same comments to Rangers fans, they would be in strong disagreement. Jagr won 2 Stanley Cups with the Penguins and is a proven winner. The problem in the past is that he played with teams that offered him a small stage on which to work.

I think even Jagr would chuckle at the statement "Jagr bleeds blue." LOL You and other NY Rangers' fans obviously don't know anything about this guy. The only reason he happened to win 2 cups (with Pittsburgh) was because of Mario Lemieux and other quality veterans (Paul Coffee, Mark Recchi, Larry Murphy, etc). Jagr contributed, but not as much (he was still a very young player back then). Pittsburgh also could depend on the leadership qualities of the great Bryan Trottier, a former Islander great.

No, Jagr is a reknown slacker and loafer. It's only a matter of time before he goes back to his old ways. Everyone throughout the league knows about his reputation as being a 'cancer' in the dressing room. Mark my words!

 

[Board Stiff]

Beavis,
Jaromir Jagr is not the captain of the NY Rangers, in fact, he declined to accept the C last off season.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Jagr wears an "A" on his jersey which means alternate captain. As far as I am concerned, if a guy has an "A" or a "C" on his jersey it means he is a fucking leader and that's all that matters.

 

[StripperLover]

EB,

Sometimes the players on a team vote who is going to be their Captain & alternates & sometimes that team management appoints them

 

[Board Stiff]

Being from NY, I know most Rangers fans are not particularly knowledgable about hockey in general. They are mostly Knicks fans! On the other hand, since returning to Canada, I am impressed by how everyone knows (including young women) how many goals Eric Staal has for Carolina, Mathieu Garon's save percentage, league standing in general, etc.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Former teamate still has disdain for Jagr, who admitted giving up in Washington

Toronto Star

Ex-Capital Jaromir Jagr visits the MCI Center in Washington tonight and it's clear the hard feelings have not subsided on either side.

Just prior to overtime in a game between the teams last week, the Capitals called for a stick measurement on Jagr, one they later admitted was an attempt to show him up.

Brendan Witt, who also wants out of Washington, does not hide his disdain for Jagr or his bitterness that Jagr is a much more inspired player for the New York Rangers than he ever was for the Capitals.

"He's a great player, but I question the way he played here," Witt said.

"We knew he had talent, but he didn't come to play every night. Why? He was getting paid $11 million. Isn't that enough to make you want to play hard?"

Even Jagr admitted he gave up in Washington.

"If I had 20 goals (in the first quarter of the season) in Washington, I wouldn't be in New York and that would be very, very bad," Jagr said.

 

[Board Stiff]

Thanks Justa,
Look at that...he is no leader whatsoever.

 

[EagerBeaver]

All that matters is what Jagr is doing now......you guys are bringing skeletons out of his closet. To me that closet door is closed and it is not being opened up........what we are seeing is a rejuvenated Jagr, one who may carry this team to great things..........many of the same things were said about Reggie Jackson when he came to the Yankees...........look what happened.

 

[Board Stiff]

Jagr may wind up being the league MVP. I hope so...that means the Rangers will be in first place.

 

[mtlman2005]

Beavis,
Jaromir Jagr is not the captain of the NY Rangers, in fact, he declined to accept the C last off season.

He declined the C for the simple reason that he knows he does have what it takes to motivate his team when they are loosing 3-0 in the third periode of game 7 of the stanley cup! (you get my point...)
Thats not the type of person he is (without counting the fact that he doesn't speak english that well...)!
But his numbers this season with the team that he is playing with are pretty amazing!! Go Jagr!!

And I want Ovechkin for the Calder!!

 

[Doc Holliday]

All that matters is what Jagr is doing now......you guys are bringing skeletons out of his closet. To me that closet door is closed and it is not being opened up........what we are seeing is a rejuvenated Jagr, one who may carry this team to great things..........many of the same things were said about Reggie Jackson when he came to the Yankees...........look what happened.

It's only a matter of time before Jagr goes back to his selfish ways. Just a matter of time! As for Reggie, he was a cancer on a great Yankee team. He also fought with and got a couple of managers fired. Another over-inflated and overpaid ego on a sick Yankee team!!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Irregular heartbeat

 

[mtlman2005]

apparently its nothing too bad (jiri fisher style...) but it still wasn't normal!

On a positive not, kovalev was skating today

 

[gohabsgo]

A strong case can be made for Alfredson in Ottawa for MVP.

 

[unit12345]

No offence

There is no Way tha jagr is mvp so far .

Like you said only one third of the season has elapse so it's much to early to judge this. Jagr is a lazy lazy bastard. Not that I am not a fan of great hockey players wich jagr is But he doesn't have the caracter anymore. And please do not ever put jagr in the same catagorie has Messier for leadership.That is just not right . Messier Might be one of all times best leaders and to put jagr in there is insulting considering all the team leaders there was in History.

I am not trying to crack down on you but personally Jagr is not the player he use to be and never will be .

I trully agree with you on the Ottawa Power line . It's to hard to say they are an MVP. They complete each other so well.

My guess so far for An MVP woulf be Ovechkin. He's a rookie and has no one whatsoever to help him .

No one in this matter can be right . Especially in hockey .
I might say gretzky Is the greatest Hockey player and you might think other wise.

Good day and hope to see more post from you about hockey