Veteran forward—and fan-favorite—Jaromir Jagr is reportedly signing with the Calgary Flames, but the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the signing will not be official until the organization handles Jagr’s immigration to Canada. The team does not expect Jagr to report to Calgary until Wednesday.
The delay benefits the Flames because now they will have more room to make roster moves before locking up Jagr’s roster spot. The Flames have a few million in cap space to work with, but their decisions are more about which prospects stay with the club.
Immigration issues do not necessarily imply a problem. Rather, they routinely crop up when a player moves from one country to another. Last season the Vancouver Canucks traded Jannik Hansen to the San Jose Sharks, but Jansen required a U.S. work visa before being able to report to the Sharks. Even though hockey players have agents and lawyers, they still have to navigate the immigration system like regular citizens to legally work in Canada or the United States.