How Jagr can win an Olympic medal and Stanley Cup this season

With NHL training camps well underway, the league's second-leading all-time point-scorer remains without a contract for 2017-18.

That would be Jaromir Jagr, who recorded 16 goals and 30 assists in 82 games for the Florida Panthers last season while playing on a one-year deal that amounted to $5.515 million. That followed a 2015-16 campaign in which he led the team in points.

Jagr turned 45 in February, two months after he surpassed Mark Messier with his 1,888th career point, and now sits behind only Wayne Gretzky in the ranks of the game's scoring legends.

The man can still clearly play at a high level, so unemployed and seemingly unwanted is not how Jagr should go out.

Here's a look at how he can perfectly flip the script.

Start in Europe

Earlier this month, Jagr admitted the possibility of staying in his hometown of Kladno and beginning the season with the local Czech club, for which he's played in the past.

It's a perfect landing spot, seeing as he's a part owner and his father serves as club president. This would allow Jagr to remain in game shape on a lighter schedule, and be able to dictate the terms of his release.

And the team already has his jersey ready to boot.

NaAe novi(C) dresy pro sezonu 2017-2018. #Kladynko #WSMliga #RytiriKladno #dres #Jagr #68 pic.twitter.com/zf0r1FZ5AU

- RytiATMi Kladno (@RytiriKladno) September 5, 2017

There's likely be some interest from KHL clubs as well, which would give Jagr the opportunity to make more money than he would, well, working for himself.

Getting out of such a deal could be a bit more complicated, however, while remaining with Kladno would help keep things flexible for the next phases of this master plan.

Go to Pyeongchang

Starting the season in Europe would allow Jagr to do what no NHL player can this year: Represent his country at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

It can't be ruled out, but barring an ever-deeper dive into the fountain of youth, Jagr is unlikely to suit up at the 2022 Games at age 50, meaning this is probably his last chance to add another Olympic medal, of which he has two - gold from Japan in 1998, and bronze from Turin in 2006.

The Czech Republic isn't quite as strong a hockey nation as it used to be, but seeing as the field will be leveled out due to the lack of NHLers, a medal isn't out of the question.

Certainly, a player like Jagr would boost his nation's chances, even at this stage of his career. If anything, donning his country's jersey one last time would be something special to watch.

Head back to NHL

At that point, Jagr could still play in the NHL for the balance of the regular season and playoffs.

The Olympics end on Feb. 25, with the men's gold-medal hockey game typically falling on the final day. The NHL's trade deadline is reported to be Feb. 26, giving Jagr a small window through which to sign with a team of his choosing.

The advantage is that he'll be able to better assess the legitimate Stanley Cup contenders at that latter point in the season, while teams can add him at a prorated deal that won't be as detrimental to the salary cap as one signed now.

There is a catch, though, per rule 13.23 of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement:

In the event a professional or former professional Player plays in a league outside North America after the start of the NHL regular season, other than on loan from his club, he may thereafter play in the NHL during that playing season (including playoffs) only if he has first either cleared or been obtained via waivers.

A similar situation played out back in 2011, when goaltender Evgeni Nabokov - who began the season in the KHL - signed a bargain-basement deal with the playoff-bound Detroit Red Wings. Nabokov, however, was claimed by the last-place New York Islanders, refused to report, and was subsequently suspended for the balance of the season.

Barring that kind of mischief on the part of the NHL's lesser teams, imagine Jagr joining Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Edmonton, or Nashville for a long playoff run.

An Olympic medal and a shot at the Stanley Cup? There isn't much more a player can ask for in any given season.

Yes, it's odd and disappointing not to see Jagr at a training camp right now, but if all goes well, he could end up having one of the best hockey years of his storied career.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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