Penguins fans are anticipating "Decision Day" on Wednesday, the title coined by general manager Ray Shero as he waits for Jaromir Jagr to let him know whether or not he's going to be a Penguin in 2011-2012. On Tuesday, Shero offered Jagr a one-year contract. It's unclear how much money he offered, but he describes the amount as "fair" and "respectful." He also says it won't interfere with the Pens' aspirations of re-signing Tyler Kennedy and Mike Rupp, so given that the Pens have around $7 million in cap room left, it's probably around a couple million bucks.
At this point, it would be very surprising to me if Jagr did not return to the Pens. The buzz surrounding the possibility of his return to Pittsburgh has gotten incredibly loud, while rumors of him signing with another team, such as the Detroit Red Wings or Montreal Canadiens, have faded into the background.
Penguins fans, meanwhile, are excited. ThePensBlog's entire front page heralds "The Decision" and, inside, notes that the Root Sports cameras caught a Pirates fan at the game in Toronto on Tuesday holding a sign that says "I'm on Jagrwatch." #Jagrwatch has become a big hashtag on Twitter. #ComeHomeJagr is pretty big, too. Dejan Kovacevic describes Wednesday as "J-Day." And then there's this video. One thing's for sure: If Jagr doesn't sign with the Penguins, a lot of fans are going to be really disappointed.
For more on Jagr and the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.