ESPN.com - Users: Caps strike gold with pickup of Jagr

ESPN.com: NHL

Wednesday, July 11, 2001
Users: Caps strike gold with pickup of Jagr

ESPN.com

With team captain Adam Oates wanting out, star winger Peter Bondra becoming the team's lone scoring threat and everybody tired of sweating out 1-0 games, the Washington Capitals took quick action. The Caps traded for superstar winger Jaromir Jagr from Pittsburgh in exchange for Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, Ross Lupaschuk and future considerations. Washington now has the fire power to complement goalie Olaf Kolzig, and Pittsburgh picks up three unproven players. And the New York Rangers? Well, they got no one.

Here are your thoughts on the Jagr trade and its implications:

Caps plan makes sense now
I'm both shocked and elated! The trade shows why the Caps didn't really make a wholehearted effort to bring in a top free agent last week. I must confess that I've been hard on George McPhee in the past, so I must give him and Ted Leonsis big kudos for making this happen. This makes the Caps the immediate Eastern Conference favorite. We have a top goalie (Olie Kolzig), a solid defense and an offense led by the top two scorers in the league for the past seven or eight years (Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra).

John
Alexandria, Va.

Jagr was great, but large salary hurt Pens
I wish the best of luck to Jags in Washington and congratulations the Caps on getting him. He will contribute a lot to their organization with the change of scenery. I will miss him a lot, and I thank him for the memories. He gave us the best years of his life -- I just hope he doesn't come back to hurt us. Getting rid of his salary and Frantisek Kucera's as well was huge. Kucera was overpaid at $1.2 million per year. This frees up a lot of room for the Pens to go to work. Who knows? Maybe they'll even sign Hull. I don't think CP did that bad in this trade, especially getting Ross Lupaschuk. It was decent, but could have been better and been worse. I'm just happy to see Jags go somewhere other than NYC.

Dave
Pittsburgh

	“	He gave us the best years of his life -- I just hope he doesn't come back to hurt us. ”
		— Dave, Pittsburgh

Caps' next step: Go for Hull
Without a doubt, the Washington Capitals instantly become the odds on favorite to win their division and are now a legitimate contender for the conference finals. They gain the premier scorer in the NHL without giving up any core players or budding superstars (i.e. Jeff Halpern). Pittsburgh apparently "settled" for a lesser package in order to keep peace among the team as well as cut their payroll. Now the Capitals need to go after Brett Hull and align him and Jaromir Jagr with Adam Oates. With a line like that, goalies will be getting massive sunburns on the back of their necks from the goal light being constantly lit.

Bryan
San Antonio

Caps will see same old playoff results
Any team trading for Jaromir Jagr becomes an immediate playoff contender. Unfortunately, the Caps will still just make the playoffs and fail to win the Cup. The pre-Glen Sather Rangers are a perfect example of giving away youth in a desperate attempt to make the playoffs, only to be vanquished in the early rounds because of lack of depth ( i.e., fresh, young legs and hungry youth ). Thank god the Rangers didn't sell the farm to get Jagr. If Sather has any sense left over, he'll avoid Hull & Lindros too.

Chris
Woodstock, Ga.

Pens got short changed in trade
Strange that Craig Patrick would deal the "best player in the world" to his biggest nemesis. What's even more unfathomable is that the Penguins got children in return for the "best player in the world". I appreciate cost savings for the good of the team (I live in Toronto), but Jagr is Jagr, which means this deal makes no sense. It also means Eric Lindros will be a New York Ranger by morning.

Tyson
Toronto

	“	Rangers' fans to Glen -- do NOT get Lindros. If Glass Jaw shows up on Broadway, I will boycott the Rangers until he is gone, traded, knocked out or retired. ”
		— Michael, New York

Goodbye and good riddance
I think Jaromir Jagr will flourish playing with Peter Bondra, but not nearly the way he has playing with Mario Lemieux. This situation has left a sour taste in my mouth with regard to the unprofessionalism he showed throughout the year. His trade demands, inability to get along with Ivan Hlinka and cry-baby attitude when criticized by his boss only prove that he is another in the long list of overpaid, underperforming athletes who do nothing but set a bad example for America's youth. Yeah, I said underperformed. Did he win the Stanley Cup this year? He was practically non-existent in the playoffs. Instead of taking the blame for his own poor play, he cries that he is hurt. Well, who isn't hurt during the playoffs? Standup players don't ask for a trade just because their work gets criticized by their superiors. Successful people take it and improve, or they get fired.

Mike
Greensburg, Pa.

Trade makes statement that Caps are for real
The Caps have finally stepped up to the plate, and not only did they get a hit, they knocked a grand slam. This is easily the biggest day in Washington Capitals history. They must now be taken seriously. Not only will this be big on the ice, but it is just as huge off the ice as well. Free agents will now look at the Capitals as a place to consider along with New Jersey, Colorado, Detroit and Dallas.

Jeremy
Sterling, Va.

	“	The Caps have finally stepped up to the plate, and not only did they get a hit, they knocked a grand slam. ”
		— Jeremy, Sterling, Va.

Caps gain top scorer, lose little
I like this trade because Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and GM George McPhee finally took a risk. The three prospects given up are very good, and this trade could hurt the Caps in two years or so. But the Caps now have two great scorers with Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra, and they didn't lose key players such as Brendan Witt, Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern. Washington will get more media attention and respect as a hockey town, and the team still has Sergei Gonchar and Adam Oates to trade away.

Michael
Washington

Caution to Sather: Avoid Lindros at all costs
I think this trade absolutely stinks. Being a Ranger fan, I could not be more disappointed with this offseason. I do not think the Penguins got much for Jaromir Jagr. I think that the Capitals just pulled off the steal of the century, and that the Penguins GM Craig Patrick should be considered a clown. Further, I think that this will dramatically improve the Capitals' chances of winning the Stanley Cup. I can now see Glen Sather, mouth watering, offering Eric Lindros an obscene contact. Rangers' fans to Glen -- do NOT get Lindros. If Glass Jaw shows up on Broadway, I will boycott the Rangers until he is gone, traded, knocked out or retired.

Michael
New York

Sather should be the one to go
Maybe Glen Sather thought he was still in Edmonton and wasn't able to spend any money on a big name, high-priced player. What kind of franchise asks the amount of money they do for season tickets while not providing a quality team on the ice? The wake-up call the Rangers have been talking about for the past four years should be made in the general manager's office. What is the answer? Eric Lindros? He is one hit away from setting the franchise back four years. We have a goalie coming off two knee operations, a 34-year-old defenseman in Brain Leetch who plays 30 minutes a game October through February and then can't skate in March, and a 39-year-old center. This is the biggest loss we have had since we let Mark Messier go in 1997. I didn't think I would ever see the day when Mike Milbury would be considered the best GM in New York. Memo to Mr. Sather: Wake up! You are in New York, not Edmonton, and if you want to stay here, you better learn to play with the big boys.

Rob
New York

	“	What kind of franchise asks the amount of money they do for season tickets while not providing a quality team on the ice? ”
		— Rob, New York

Patrick granted Jagr's wish
I am glad to see Jaromir Jagr finally get his wish. I only wish Craig Patrick could have found a way to trade him to the Islanders. Then I imagine Jagr would have really known what it is like to 'die inside.' I think Jagr's absence will improve the chemistry in the Pens locker room, as well as allowing some of the lesser lauded players to blossom under Mario Lemieux's tutelage. Bravo to Craig Patrick for making a gutsy move. Bravo to Lemieux for allowing Mr. Patrick to make the move.

Roy
Pittsburgh

Future is bright for new-look Caps
I think this is a great trade for the Capitals. Now with the league's best player, the Caps are definite Stanley Cup contenders. The Caps can now trade Adam Oates and pick up a young player or two, maybe not the quality of Kris Beech and Michal Sivek, but they will help replace the losses. Looking at the immediate future, this trade puts the Capitals in a great postion. They already have one of the premier goalies in Olaf Kolzig, a great defenseman in Sergei Gonchar, a great goal scorer in Peter Bondra, a solid group of veteran role players, and with this trade, the best player in the NHL, Jaromir Jagr.

Kevin
Hampton, N.J.

Big name steals are becoming commonplace in NHL
I think St. Louis gave up more to get Doug Weight than the Capitals/Red Wings gave up to get Jaromir Jagr/Dominik Hasek. How is it that there can be discussion of Lindros being traded for entire nations plus scores of draft picks, and Jagr goes for three prospects plus future considerations? Ridiculous.

Jim
Pittsburgh

Big name steals are becoming commonplace in NHL
As with all trades, only time will tell. Yes, this makes the Caps stronger but allows the Pens greater flexibility in other possible moves. The younger players acquired will benefit from the experience and leadership of Mario. Craig Patrick is a wise old fox, and he saw what was needed during the playoffs against the New Jersey Devils. I wouldn't be too surprised if a quality defenseman comes the Pens way. My verdict is that the Caps win the battle, but the Pens will win the war. All the best to Jags -- he will be missed.

Cliff
Glenmoore, Pa.