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Jaromir Jagr can’t help but rave about Stars rookie Nichushkin

Dallas Stars v Toronto Maple Leafs

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 5: Valeri Nichushkin #43 of the Dallas Stars skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on December 5, 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Leafs defeated the Stars 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Claus Andersen

Dallas Stars rookie Valeri Nichushkin has been starting to get noticed more by fans and media around the league of late. He’s also getting the attention of some of the league’s biggest name players as well.

New Jersey Devils star, and future Hall of Famer, Jaromir Jagr was asked about Nichushkin and couldn’t help but gush over his play of late as Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice shared.

“Maybe it was his best three games I watched, but I said, ‘This guy is going to be the best in the world one day,’” Jagr said.

Jagr said Nichushkin is the one rookie that has impressed him the most this season. He also says he’s never seen an 18-year-old physically dominate in games the way Nichushkin did in the games he watched.

When you consider the kind of force Jagr was when he arrived on the scene with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 1990-91 as an 18-year-old, that kind of praise isn’t being thrown around lightly.

Nichushkin has had praise like this already this season when teammate and captain Jamie Benn compared him to Evgeni Malkin. Hearing it from a guy of Jagr’s caliber may carry a bit more clout.

If Nichushkin fulfills Jagr’s prophecy one day as the best player in the world, we can at least know that we were warned in advance.

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