My biggest issue with the Jaromir Jagr contract situation is that the captain’s plea that he doesn’t wish to be a distraction to the team rings hollow when we’re reading and writing about it every day.

Yesterday it was reported that Anatoly Bardin, GM of Russia’s Avangard Omsk, would be flying to New York next week to begin negotiations with Jagr about potentially returning next season to the team for whom he played during the NHL lockout.

This comes on the heals of Jagr’s cryptic remarks to the Post earlier this month that he has “a pretty good idea” what he’s going to do next season, but he’s not going to tell any of us for fear of being a distraction. Well played, Jags.

What we should be discussing today is the Blueshirts’ seventh consecutive victory against the rival Devils this season. But instead…

Today in the Daily News, John Dellapina informs us that Jagr is open to meeting with Bardin at some point next week:

“He can come, it’s no problem - we’ll see what happens,” said Jagr, who played for Avangard-Omsk in 2004-05, when a lockout canceled the NHL season. “I’m going to meet with them for sure.”

Jagr is due to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 because he will not hit the statistical trigger (84 points this season) that would have enabled a Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals to automatically extend his contract for one more season. While NHL tampering rules prohibit any other team in the league from talking to a player under contract, a league source said there are no such prohibitions against an overseas team negotiating a “futures” deal.

Frankly, it’s absurd, and no one in the dressing room or the front office can be too pleased about it.

According to Dellapina, Jagr has hinted in recent weeks that he believes the Rangers are unlikely to resign him. If true, this Garden parishioner couldn’t be more thrilled. Lord knows the team could use the cap space.