One of the best players in the history of hockey statistically is Jaromir Jagr. He currently sits at second overall in all-time points in the NHL with 1,921 points (766 goals and 1,155 assists). Only Wayne Gretzky has more than him with 2,857 points. Jagr has more than legends of the game like Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Ron Francis, and so on. His time in the league occurred in two tenures, with him playing in the KHL for Avangard Omsk in between from the 2008-09 season to 2010-11. While in the NHL; he suited up for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Calgary Flames. He is a future first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer and is a member of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players that was announced back in 2017.
Jagr’s tenure with the Capitals does not get discussed as much as other places he suited up for. He was only in D.C. for parts of three seasons. Things did not work out for both sides during his time with the organization, and he was eventually dealt midseason to the Rangers during the 2003-04 campaign. What happened between Jagr and Washington, and how did it work out in the end for the Capitals?
aromir Jagr’s Time with the Penguins
Jaromir Jagr was drafted fifth overall by the Penguins back in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He was a Penguin for 11 seasons. He helped Pittsburgh win two Stanley Cup championships in the first two campaigns he was there. His rookie season saw Jagr score 27 goals and provide 30 assists for 57 points. In the 1991 playoffs, he also scored three goals and produced 10 assists for 13 points in 24 games. His sophomore campaign for the Penguins saw him follow up with 32 goals and 37 assists for 69 points in 70 games. The 1992 postseason saw Jagr tally 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 21 games. He and Mario Lemieux led the Penguins to their second-straight Cup championship.
Jagr continued to be an offensive juggernaut for Pittsburgh until he was traded to the Washington Capitals. During his entire time with the Penguins, he notched the following regular-season totals:
1990-91: 27 goals and 30 assists for 57 points in 80 games
1991-92: 32 goals and 37 assists for 69 points in 70 games
1992-93: 34 goals and 60 assists for 94 points in 81 games
1993-94: 32 goals and 67 assists for 99 points in 80 games
1994-95: 32 goals and 38 assists for 70 points in 48 games
1995-96: 62 goals and 87 assists for 149 points in 82 games
1996-97: 47 goals and 48 assists for 95 points in 63 games
1997-98: 35 goals and 67 assists for 102 points in 77 games
1998-99: 44 goals and 83 assists for 127 points in 81 games
1999-2000: 42 goals and 54 assists for 96 points in 63 games
2000-01: 52 goals and 69 assists for 121 points in 81 games
Jaromir Jagr’s Trade to the Washington Capitals
Jaromir Jagr and the Penguins parted ways through this trade made with the Washington Capitals back on July 11, 2001. The Capitals acquired Jagr and Frantisek Kucera in exchange for Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk, Michal Sivek, and future considerations. There was reason for excitement in D.C. Some of the production that Jagr posted while in Pittsburgh was eye-popping. The 1995-96 campaign was amazing with him totaling 149 points in 82 games. He was more than capable of being a 100+ point player, as he did it with the Penguins on multiple occasions. It certainly helped being on the same team as a legend like Mario Lemieux, but Jagr proved that he was a superstar on his own and could take care of business with his own skills.
Jagr joined a Capitals locker room that already had Peter Bondra, Adam Oates (until he was dealt to the Flyers during the 2001-02 campaign), Sergei Gonchar, Ulf Dahlen, and Dainius Zubrus among others. He became the leading scorer in his first season in D.C. In 69 games, Jagr scored 31 goals and 48 assists for 79 points. The next best point producer for that campaign was Bondra with 70 points in 77 games. As a team, the Capitals failed to reach the postseason. They finished just outside of contention as the ninth place team in the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals did better during Jagr’s second season with the club. They made the playoffs as the sixth seed in the East with a 39-29-8-6 record. He individually scored his best goal total as a Capital with 36. He also finished that regular season with 77 points in 75 games. In the 2003 postseason, which was Jagr’s only one with Washington, he scored two goals and accrued five assists for seven points in six games.
Jagr Dealt to the Big Apple
Jaromir Jagr played in D.C. for part of one more campaign in 2003-04. Capitals general manager George McPhee decided to trade away quite a bit of players then, as the club was moving in a different direction. He was gearing up for the organization’s next era (what we know now as the Alex Ovechkin Era). As a result, the Capitals traded many talents away. They sent Bondra to the Ottawa Senators, Robert Lang to the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Konowalchuk to the Colorado Avalanche, Gonchar and Michael Nylander to the Boston Bruins in seperate deals, and Mike Grier to the Buffalo Sabres.
Jagr, too, was moved out of town. McPhee dealt him to the New York Rangers. The Capitals acquired Anson Carter in return from the Rangers. Carter did not even stay in D.C. for long, as he was traded a little while later that same season to the Los Angeles Kings. The short Jagr Era in Washington was over. He finished his time as a Capital with 83 goals and 118 assists for 201 points in 190 games.
Why Things Worked Out for Washington
As much as the Jaromir Jagr tenure did not work out for Washington, a better era was coming around for the franchise. If George McPhee and the rest of Capitals management kept trying to make that current chapter of the team work, there would be no Alex Ovechkin on the roster. With no Ovechkin, what else gets altered in team history after that? Does T.J. Oshie come to D.C.? Is Nicklas Backstrom drafted by the Capitals? How about drafting Evgeny Kuznetsov? Does Washington get John Carlson in 2008? Everything becomes questionable afterward when talking about the Capitals not getting Ovechkin, because he is the most pivotal figure in franchise history. The best era that the organization ever had would have never existed if management kept Jagr and others like Bondra and Gonchar around.
Things worked out for Jagr too. He played a few seasons for the Rangers, went to the KHL for another few years, and then played throughout the NHL for various other teams. He is an icon for the sport of hockey, and is still playing. During the 2023-24 hockey season, Jagr suited up for the Kladno Knights. He played in 15 games and tallied four assists.
Jagr may not have become a Capitals’ household name during his time with the team; like an Ovechkin, Bondra, Backstrom, or Mike Gartner. However, Washington still played a role in the career of someone who is one of the most legendary players to ever lace up the skates. He may not be as remembered for his time in D.C. like he is in Pittsburgh or New York or New Jersey, but he will always be a part of the Washington Capitals’ history.
