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Jaromir Jagr, the Devils' leading scorer, says he is happy playing in New Jersey and wouldn't want to be traded to a contender at the trade deadline.

(Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

Few would argue that Jaromir Jagr was the Devils' Most Valuable Player during the first half of this season. His 34 points and 13 goals both lead the team, and the big winger's four game-winning goals are the reason an Eastern Conference playoff spot is still very much within reach.



But there are two major questions surrounding Jagr as the Devils reach the halfway point with Tuesday's New Year's Eve matinee against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Prudential Center: Can he be as productive in the second half and will he be traded to a top contender prior to the NHL's March 5 trade deadline if the Devils are struggling to secure a postseason berth?



"I'm not going to ask for a trade if everything stays the same. I'll fight to the end. I like it here too much," Jagr told The Star-Ledger. "I would hate to go to some team just to help them. I'd feel like a rented guy.

"They'd use me the way they want to, not because they need me. They'd already be happy with their team. I don't think I'd play the same way. I need my 18-19 minutes. I need to play a lot in the third period when the game is on the line and guys are getting tired. I hope I stay. Everything can change, but I've had fun. I like the system we play. Even though it's a more defensive system, I don't mind it at all."



Jagr will turn 42 on Feb. 15. While it wouldn't be surprising for some players to run out of gas late in a grueling season, he isn't the least bit worried.



"I hope I have a better second half. Hopefully our team is going to have a better second half," Jagr said. "I hope opposing teams and players are going to get tired. That's to my advantage. I think in the second half the game is played the way we (the Devils) play, so that should work to our advantage. There aren't many wide open games. Teams have to play more defensively, more along the boards. That's our kind of game."



Of course, there is the added factor of the Olympics in February. Jagr will be a key member of the Czech national team in Sochi, Russia. It is a tournament that can drain even the world's top players, not to mention the long flights to and from Russia.

"I don't think it will be a problem at all," Jagr insisted. "That's another thing that will work to my advantage because a lot of guys won't be playing (during the two-week break). I like to play. I don't feel good when I have a day off. This is not a good time for me during the holidays. I'd rather play. I feel best when I play back-to-back. Those are my best games. Especially in the third period. I love that."



Jagr says his conditioning is what makes him a notoriously good third period player, along with his genes. If others are surprised by what he is able to accomplish at his age, he isn't.

"I just remember my father's voice when I was young, between 10 and 15. He said, 'If you're built like me, you'll be your strongest around 40.' That's what he always said," Jagr recalled. "He said he was his strongest between 40 and 50. Maybe he's right.



"I thought I was going to play better than I am right now, to be honest. I thought we would have more wins. We have a pretty good system. Just somehow we weren't able to put more wins together. If you love the game, are willing to work for it and are still healthy, the age doesn't matter. You slow down when you're injured or when you become lazy. That's the biggest fear for all players, to become lazy. If you're tired, you have to ignore it and get up and still do it. If you don't do it, the next day it's going to be a lot worse."



He also credits coach Pete DeBoer for his success this season.



"Listen, I'm not a bad player. I got the opportunity to play. The coach gave me the opportunity to play the way I like to play," Jagr said.



DeBoer concedes the Devils relied on Jagr too much in the first half.

"I think that's probably fair," the coach said. "I don't think there's any question we've been searching for secondary scoring, secondary line combinations and chemistry through the first half of the year."



Jagr enters the Devils' 41st game with 1,722 career points. That is one behind Mario Lemieux for seventh all-time in the NHL. Tying or passing his former Penguins teammate and mentor would be a poignant way for Jagr to end the first half of this season.



"Right now I'm not thinking about it. If it happens it happens. If it doesn't it doesn't," he said. "My job is obviously to score goals and help our team offensively, so the more I do it the better chances the team is going to win."