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NHL | Chapters from alternative history: If Jagr had not been unfaithful to the NHL, Ovechkin would still have something to catch up with

Jagr speaks of his Russian mission from 2008-11, when he worked in Omsk, as a turning point. She is said to have taught him to train differently. Without her, he might have ended his career. It is possible, but it is not at all certain.

Most fans would certainly rather see Jagr from the age of 36 in duels against Philadelphia or New Jersey in the NHL than to be excited by duels with Ufa and Magnitogorsk. There is still controversy about what Jágr’s overseas shooting and points account could look like even with the three seasons he spent in Siberia.

Gabriel Desjardins, whose job was later upgraded by Rob Vollman, the editor of NHL.com, who specialized in advanced statistics, joined the debates of lovers of alternative hockey history some time ago. He currently works as an analyst for the Los Angeles Kings. He adjusted the coefficient, which graded the strength of major hockey competitions and, according to him, then recalculated the points gain of the players if they entered the NHL.

Jagr in Omsk
2008-0955 matches – 53 points (25 + 28), conversion 81 matches – 62 points (29 + 33)
2009-1051 matches – 42 points (22 + 20), conversion 75 matches – 50 points (26 + 24)
2010-1149 matches – 50 points (19 + 31), conversion 76 matches – 64 points (24 + 40)

Of course, this is not authoritative, but ‘Vollman’s index’ can at least be caught in something. According to him, Jágr’s account would increase by 232 matches in three seasons, in which he would collect 176 points (79 + 97). So, if we add them to the real Jágr numbers, with whom he left the NHL during the 2017-18 season, we get absolutely monumental statistics.

In addition, they look quite realistic at first glance. In the 2007-08 season, Jágr said goodbye to the NHL as the most productive Rangers player 71 points (25 + 46) in 82 matches, which is 0.87 points per game. After a comeback in 2011, he scored 54 points (19 + 35) for Philadelphia in 73 starts – 0.74 points per game.

And the average that went out to Vollman over Jagr’s three recalculated seasons in Russia oscillates between these values ​​- 0.76.

Matches: 1733 (4th place) – with conversion 1965 (1st place)
Points: 1921 (2nd place) – with recalculation 2097 (2nd place)
Goals: 766 (4th place) – with recalculation 845 (2nd place)
Assistance: 1155 (5th place) – with recalculation 1252 (2nd place)

“I was saddened by Jard’s departure to Russia,” Jagr’s aide and friend Luboš Rys told recently for Sport.cz. “Who knows how many points he could have had.

In New York in 2008, however, they did not understand why Jágr preferred Omsk. Around his departure, a number of rumors erupted. Instead of the start of the new NHL season in Prague with the Rangers, Jágr nested in the headquarters of the Omsk Jestřábů, where he was already active during the 2004-05 season.

“He said he still wanted to play for us. We wanted him too, but we never heard from him the amount he envisioned, “former Rangers general manager Glen Sather wondered after years.

Nearly 850 goals and almost 2,100 points is just a possible version of how far Jágr could have moved if the NHL had not been unfaithful for three years. Ovechkin still has some catching up to do.

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