Jagr done in the Big Apple

From Steve Zipay of Newsday:

Future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr‘s three-year tenure in New York is over.

Rangers general manager Glen Sather said this afternoon that he spoke with the Czech superstar, who is an unrestricted free agent, and told him that the club was moving in another direction.

“It was a very cordial parting,” Sather said, adding that the 36-year-old was seriously considering an offer that his agent was reviewing from Russia.

Read the entire story here.

Well, if the Markus Naslund signing didn’t make things official then Glen Sather’s comments sure did. Jagr was the main reason the Rangers returned to respectability after the lockout. He carried the team on his back during both the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons and then was the Rangers’ best player during the 2007/08 playoffs.

Even though he slowed down during the regular season last year, I’m sure many teams have a serious interest in the veteran winger. His skill-set is still one of the most impressive in the NHL and I have a feeling he won’t be going overseas just yet.

This move is sure to change the dynamics of the Rangers locker room, as this is now Chris Drury’s team.