For a Stanley Cup contending team, the prospect of signing the aging and (finally) declining Jaromir Jagr would be nothing more than a gut-busting joke in even the most incompetent front office.
But for a team like the New York Rangers, who look like they are about to conduct a full-blown fire sale, it could have its benefits.
Firstly, you bring him in is so you have bodies to play once the team starts to trade off players. This is why the team claimed Cody McLeod, for better or for worse. It allows the team to not rush it’s younger AHL players like Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson while they continue to develop their craft with the Hartford Wolfpack.