Panthers' Bjugstad: Any team would be 'lucky to have' Jagr

If Florida Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad was a National Hockey League general manager, Jaromir Jagr might not still be without a contract for next season.

Bjugstad, who played with Jagr in Florida over the past two years, acknowledged the impact the legendary forward made during his stint with the Panthers, especially on the team's young core. And in Bjugstad's view, Jagr still has plenty to offer, both on and off the ice.

"Just seeing him play at such a high level, even today, it's very odd to be able to play 20 years in the NHL, let alone 25 or however many years he's at," Bjugstad said, per Jesse Pierce of NHL.com. "I think everyone's kind of looking at him and looking at what he does differently; how he trains, what he eats.

"I can't say enough good things about him. Wherever he ends up, I'm sure he'll do well and he'll bring the same personality and same stuff to the locker room. Any team would be lucky to have him and I can't thank him enough for all he's done for me."

Back on July 1, Jagr's agent confirmed the Panthers would not be re-signing his client. He played last season on a one-year, $4-million deal, registering 16 goals and 30 assists in 82 games.