Next up on my list is defenseman and team captain Zdeno Chara! Chara appeared in 62 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced five goals and nine assists. He then played in 23 playoff games for the team, through which he tallied two goals and six assists. Drafted in the third round (56th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders, Chara has appeared in 1,485 career NHL games, over which he has recorded 200 goals and 442 assists. The 42-year-old defenseman has spent the past 13 seasons with the Bruins, and he has served as team captain for all of them. He has played for three total organizations over his 21 season NHL career.
At 42 years old, Chara is still going strong, although he has slowed down considerably these past few seasons. But, he is still more than capable of playing top pairing minutes, especially with a strong skater such as Charlie McAvoy. He and McAvoy complement each other nicely, as what one lacks or struggles with the other makes up for. Chara also led the team in shorthanded time on ice last season and he has been known to stay out for the entire duration of penalties sometimes. Also, even though he is no longer on the power play, he manages to put up some goals and assists, mainly via his bomb of a slapshot. He’s always been more of a stay-at-home defenseman over his career, so the fact that we are still getting some offense from him at his age is impressive. He also the tallest player to ever play in the NHL at 6’9” and 250 pounds, which means he can also brings a lot of intimidation whenever he is on the ice. That’s always helpful, especially since the Bruins have a lot of small defensemen and young, talented players on their roster who could otherwise be targets.
Chara’s value in the locker room can also not be underestimated or adequately described in a few sentences. He has served as captain of the team over the entirety of his tenure in Boston, and he and Bergeron have completely changed the culture in the dressing room and made it one of the closest in the league. He works hard every single day and does everything he can to help him continue to perform at a high level, which sets an amazing example for the young guys and undoubtedly rubs off on them and everyone else. He is a true pro on and off the ice, and you can’t help but respect him for everything he does off the ice and for all he does to stay relevant in a rapidly changing league that is going away from the style he is used to. The leadership core in Boston is second to none in the league, and Chara is at the center of it all. Between him, Bergeron, and the others, they have created a culture in which there’s a family-like closeness in the room and everyone is treated equally regardless of experience, and works hard. That’s an environment many outside players want to be a part of and current players don’t want to leave. You don’t see that just anywhere or with just any group.
As for what we can expect out of Chara next season, it’ll be more of the same, except he may be a little slower due to being another year older and the Bruins making a run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season. He’ll still be the Bruins’ top shutdown defenseman (although some may argue Carlo has taken that title from him) and he’ll almost surely be on the top pairing with McAvoy again. He’ll also continue to be the team’s top penalty killer, and contribute a little bit of offense (usually at key times). But, perhaps most of all, Chara will continue to be the outstanding leader he has been for years. He and the others will ensure that everyone on the team pulls their weight and checks their egos at the door so they can make another run at hockey’s holy grail. This time let’s hope it ends with him raising the Lord Stanley’s Cup high above his head again instead of in crushing disappointment like it did this past season.
Hockey Addict 