Whither Jagr?

He remains the second best hockey player to ever call Pittsburgh home, and he also remains misunderstood and his legacy is still forming, and even if much of his issues are self-inflicted, there can be no question that Jaromir Jagr is a great player. How good?

He's won two Cups and more than rode shotgun, scoring some huge goals in those playoffs, yet is still thought of as hockey's Alex Rodriguez - which is silly. Does he need some cathartic event to rally people to understand how good he is and has been? Does he need a summer playing with Gretzky to "learn to win" or does he need a comeback from Hodgkin's or a three year layoff for us to appreciate him? To many, Mario needed those events to make him the player he became and give him the aura he grew into, which is hogwash - he was a great player without those events. But they served to make him greater in the eyes of those who tune in occasionally. He would have won Cups without playing with Gretzky (BTW - have you gone over the Pens lineup for those Cup years? Simply amazing talent - compare it to the Oilers dynasty teams and it holds its own), and he was already the best player in the game for a long time, dedicated to winning and overcoming long odds before he had Hodgkin's or staged any comeback.

We should appreciate Jagr (even if he plays for the hated Blueshirts) for the great player he is, not the Alex Rodriguez and certainly not the Scottie Pippen of hockey, and stop criticizing him for things he has not done. That list is short, what he has done, when you think about it in comparison to other hockey players is simply amazing.

Some Jagr notes:

• Someone from Dallas tries to assess where Jagr will rank among all-time greats when he's done. It's an interesting question but one I wish someone who can remember Jagr beyond 1992 would tackle - 1999 anyone:

• Jagr to the Oilers? Eklund is the source of more wild rumors than Gammons but still...
• The Rangers are in first place, yet they are hopping on the what's wrong with Jagr bandwagon already.
  
• Then again, maybe the Rangers should trade him since he's going to need a new contract after this season if he reaches some lofty milestones, which he might do after sidekick Marty Straka returns from injury (I love Straka but how fortunate has he been to play with Jagr all these years in Pgh and NYC? I mean they are a Butch and Sundance, PB & J, Bonnie & Clyde kind of team.). But if they do, they should forget about opening next season in Prague.