The New Jersey Devils are playing some awful hockey.
That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. In their last six games, the most shots they’ve managed is 23, and three times they’ve finished with just 14.
Somehow, they’ve won three of those six games. But let’s face it, those shot totals are Buffalo Sabres bad.
On Monday, the Devils hit rock bottom with a 2-1 home loss to the Oilers. With the playoffs now essentially a zero-percent probability, New Jersey is bound to be a seller leading up to the trade deadline.
We’ve already wondered if the Devils should trade Jaromir Jagr. But might the 42-year-old winger actually request a move?
“I feel I don’t have to ask. If it’s good for the team, I’m gone,” Jagr told NJ Advance Media on Monday. “If they feel like they’ve got a good offer, they’ll trade me. I don’t have to ask.”
If that’s indeed the case (and there’s not a gentleman’s agreement between him and Lou Lamoriello that says otherwise), it’s hard to imagine Jagr remaining a Devil past March 2. Surely some team could find a spot for him on the roster for the playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens are rumored to be interested, for example.
Jagr, a pending unrestricted free agent, does not have a no-trade clause.
He turns 43 on Sunday.