Would YOU trade Chara this offseason?

[Hockey64]

Should we look to trade Chara? IMHO, unless he asks for a trade you cannot. When they signed Chara (& Savard) back in 2006 the perceptions about Boston being a place that no desirable free agent wanted to go (unless their options were greatly limited, hello Travis Green) changed literally overnight. His signing and subsequent performance brought a much needed accountability to the Bruins that was sorely missing following the trade of Ray Bourque and subsequent rebuild.

This season I feel that Chara did his best to work hard and come back from an injury that likely will require significant rehab (if not surgery) time in the off season. Why? Because he likely felt that his presence both on the ice and in the locker room was critical for the B's to even have a chance to make the playoffs this season. We have 9 games left to determine whether or not that was the right call. If they do get into the playoffs, anything can happen. Just ask the Kings.

Trading Chara without his desire to move on would be a public relations nightmare. He can still play a very important role for the Bruins even if his minutes are likely reduced next season & beyond being a valuable mentor as well as a key voice in the locker room.

That said, given our aging blueline I see Seidenberg pulling on a different jersey next year. As much as I like DS, the significant injury he suffered coupled with his age have led to a very noticeable drop-off in his play. I for one am anticipating some major changes to our designated core this summer, whether they make the playoffs or not.

100% on board with the idea behind what the replacement of Sinden and the signing of Chara and Savard meant to this organization. It was so bad prior to 2006, I could not give away any of my season tickets.

Having said that, Jacobs will risk losing the gate receipts again if he let's the GM roll out this same roster. Even if there is a possibility that Chara, Seids can come back healthy it is against the odds at their age. And I don't think Campbell and Paille have much more upside at this juncture of their career.

Bottom line is that age/injury risk go up with age, never mind the fact that our top 2 D are both old and now have a history of injuries.

They just can't come back in the Fall with these two as our top two.

My bet is that for the reason it is Seids that leaves is exactly what Deedot is saying. I am thinking they will turn over the roster a bit more than that as they will need a #2 D, but I think Chara will stay.

 

[GoBs]

Always felt Bruins should have used the money on Boychuk and allowed Seids to walk.

 

[BNHL]

Always felt Bruins should have used the money on Boychuk and allowed Seids to walk.

Maybe,but Boychuk is actually a #4 defenseman playing a lot against lesser lines.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Always felt Bruins should have used the money on Boychuk and allowed Seids to walk.

Or trade both and get a real 1st pairing D to play with Dougie in the present AND future.

 

[Latrappe]

Seidenberg with 6 extra months of recovery will be much better next year. Hamilton will be better next year. Sign or trade for a top 3 Dman and this will alleviate more pressure off Chara.

Chara may never come close to winning another Norris trophy, but can still be a top 10 Dman in the league for a couple of more years.

Seidenberg with 6 extra months of recovery will be much better next year. Hamilton will be better next year. Sign or trade for a top 3 Dman and this will alleviate more pressure off of Chara.

it would be foolish to trade him unless the return was off the charts over payment.

Yep. Tend to agree with this but the Bruins will have to pick someone of the core and trade for that top 3 D-man. Reducing the work load of Z might be exactly what he need. Regarding Seid... You might be right but i'm not sure if 6 more months will do the trick for him. He look completely overwhelmed out there but I have to admit that playing with Bartowski doesn't help at all. After the week-end, I would have sit him if we had any other options. Since it's not the case, well...

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Wow.

are you serious?

Chara might get you a 2nd round pick?

You want to rebuild your foundation on D by trading away a guy that is still your best Dman...and trade him for a 2nd round pick or a good minor league player?

And Why would you want to keep Paille?

Dude, you realize we're now in 2015, not 2011, right?
Have you been watching Chara for the past 2 years?
He's not our best Dman anymore and he's not a foundation to build on.

And, if your opinion of him is valid, and I'm wrong, then it very well could come to pass some other GM will agree with you and be willing to part with real value in order to obtain him.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Yep. Tend to agree with this but the Bruins will have to pick someone of the core and trade for that top 3 D-man. Reducing the work load of Z might be exactly what he need. Regarding Seid... You might be right but i'm not sure if 6 more months will do the trick for him. He look completely overwhelmed out there but I have to admit that playing with Bartowski doesn't help at all. After the week-end, I would have sit him if we had any other options. Since it's not the case, well...

The excuse-making for Chara is what's off the charts around here and it's this kind of sentimental hogwash that plays a part in explaining why this team is where it is.

Objective analysis of what is plain to see, rather than wishing and hoping is what's needed here.

 

[LavioletteScores]

This isn't the right thread, but I am still shaking my head from this past season as Chia brought in Joe Sacco and John Ferguson. Failure oozes from those dude's bones. We have Tuukka because of Ferguson, and he signed a bunch of old, crappy players on a Maple Leafs team that needed picks and youth (oh, and he traded like a bazillion of those picks).

I mean, Chia should be fired for hiring those guys alone.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

I trade/waive Seidenberg before Chara.

 

[Mathews28]

Or trade both and get a real 1st pairing D to play with Dougie in the present AND future.

The fact that Dougie is being counted on so heavily going forward is a concern in itself.

 

[BMC]

Seidenberg with 6 extra months of recovery will be much better next year. Hamilton will be better next year. Sign or trade for a top 3 Dman and this will alleviate more pressure off Chara.

Chara may never come close to winning another Norris trophy, but can still be a top 10 Dman in the league for a couple of more years.

Seidenberg with 6 extra months of recovery will be much better next year. Hamilton will be better next year. Sign or trade for a top 3 Dman and this will alleviate more pressure off of Chara.

it would be foolish to trade him unless the return was off the charts over payment.

I agree 100%.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

The excuse-making for Chara is what's off the charts around here and it's this kind of sentimental hogwash that plays a part in explaining why this team is where it is.

Objective analysis of what is plain to see, rather than wishing and hoping is what's needed here.

What's even more infuriating than the excuse-making itself is the fact that these people act like the excuses just started this year. People have been doing this for AT LEAST two years with Chara.

Ob-****ing-jectivity. It's just ridiculous hearing what other fanbases have to say about Chara's game, night after night, yet there is part of this fanbase who just refuses to let go of the infatuation.

I guess Chia can be included in that part of the fanbase.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

The fact that Dougie is being counted on so heavily going forward is a concern in itself.

If Dougie has a guy on his opposite side who is a decent shutdown guy, along with a good puck mover (see old man Markov in MTL), I'm really not too concerned.

Obviously, these things do not grow on trees, but we have absolutely no chance of acquiring one of them, or getting the chance to get one in the lineup, with the current set-up of both Seidenberg and Chara being used as top 4 D-men.

I'd actually be quite intrigued to see what Hamilton could do with one of the kids in Prov.

 

[BB88]

Yes get a top 2 Dman.

Bruins 4th line is too expensive, Bruins bottom pairing Dman are to expensive.

Cap is not going to work,
You need to get rid of one of seids/chara to be able to do that, we need millions of cap space, 4th line savings will go to re-signings.
The problem is that chara should be a 2nd pairing D with limited minutes(7M cap hit), seids should be 3rd pairing D with limited minutes(4M cap hit) and we have krug,mcQ and Morrow on those spots with much cheaper contracts and they are much younger.

So we have to get rid of seids sadly, I wanted him to succeed so badly but it's clear he's past his prime with lower body injury adding to that.

Yep. Tend to agree with this but the Bruins will have to pick someone of the core and trade for that top 3 D-man. Reducing the work load of Z might be exactly what he need. Regarding Seid... You might be right but i'm not sure if 6 more months will do the trick for him. He look completely overwhelmed out there but I have to admit that playing with Bartowski doesn't help at all. After the week-end, I would have sit him if we had any other options. Since it's not the case, well...

seids was ready to return almost a year ago.
now he's had the last years 2nd half, offseason and 70 games to find his game.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Yep. Tend to agree with this but the Bruins will have to pick someone of the core and trade for that top 3 D-man. Reducing the work load of Z might be exactly what he need. Regarding Seid... You might be right but i'm not sure if 6 more months will do the trick for him. He look completely overwhelmed out there but I have to admit that playing with Bartowski doesn't help at all. After the week-end, I would have sit him if we had any other options. Since it's not the case, well...

Newsflash...

Bartkowski is NOT the problem with Sides, and the really scare part is that Bart has looked better than both Chara and Sides most games the last couple of weeks.

Think about THAT for a minute.

In regards to the OP's question. I would trade anybody on this roster if it made the team better.

 

[Lucic and Chong]

The Bruins looked pretty awful while Chara was getting his MA RE Broker's license. Seems like a lot of folks here can't wait to make that a permanent thing. Don't count me as one of them.

At least Z will be able to list his own home and profit on the way out the door.

 

[BNHL]

The Bruins looked pretty awful while Chara was getting his MA RE Broker's license. Seems like a lot of folks here can't wait to make that a permanent thing. Don't count me as one of them.

At least Z will be able to list his own home and profit on the way out the door.

He now owns 3 units on Union Wharf at about 6 million.

 

[Hali33]

I don't think the value/market for Chara is as high as some people may think.

Other GMs would have the same concerns as we do about him.

Despite his reputation, he is 38 years with a serious knee injury. Whatever decline was happening advances significantly because of this. He could still need surgery which puts him out for many months and he could be 39 before he's ready to play again. And while Chara is such a unique talent who's insane training regimen will prevent this from being a career ender, I would be shocked to see him return to being a dominant top pairing defenseman.

That's a lot of risk for someone to willingly take on for 6.9 million for the next couple seasons, regardless of reputation.

 

[Lucic and Chong]

He now owns 3 units on Union Wharf at about 6 million.

Zdeno Chara is a really impressive human being with a staggering list of achievements.

In a cap world at his age the return on ice will be left wanting sometimes, but what was Chiarelli to do, not sign him? People that want to lynch Chiarelli now would have already dumped his body in the Harbor last year if he had let Chara walk at last contract signing.

You've always been a keen observer of age and its effects, so I ask you this- where do you see Chara spending the remainder of this contract, and how effective do you think he can be going forward?

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Zdeno Chara is a really impressive human being with a staggering list of achievements.

In a cap world at his age the return on ice will be left wanting sometimes, but what was Chiarelli to do, not sign him? People that want to lynch Chiarelli now would have already dumped his body in the Harbor last year if he had let Chara walk at last contract signing.

You've always been a keen observer of age and its effects, so I ask you this- where do you see Chara spending the remainder of this contract, and how effective do you think he can be going forward?

I hated Chara's current contract the day it was signed. The term was too long. You don't sign "a Chara" into his early 40's. It was just a bad idea, especially in a league that is getting faster every single day.

I just hate going around the board and reading these posts about how everyone would have killed Chiarelli had he not made the signing, yet I didn't like the contract from day one. I'm not even trying to "take credit" or say "I told you so"...I just wish the folks, such as myself, who had an opinion that is now seeming to be valid aren't forgotten.

I love the Bruins. I love hockey...actually, the latter more so. But, you just have to bring some foresight, whether it be for players you love at the time or hate. I love DK, but given his injury history and his overall mediocre performance while healthy, as of late, have got me concerned about that contract. The only long-term deal I feel totally good on is Bergeron. Okay, and Tuukka. Big cap hit, but I'm totally sold on him too.

 

[wintersej]

What's even more infuriating than the excuse-making itself is the fact that these people act like the excuses just started this year. People have been doing this for AT LEAST two years with Chara.

Ob-****ing-jectivity. It's just ridiculous hearing what other fanbases have to say about Chara's game, night after night, yet there is part of this fanbase who just refuses to let go of the infatuation.

I guess Chia can be included in that part of the fanbase.

Last year the team had a 1.69 GAA at even strength with Chara on the ice.

But he was garbage then.

Objectivity my ass.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Dude, you realize we're now in 2015, not 2011, right?
Have you been watching Chara for the past 2 years?
He's not our best Dman anymore and he's not a foundation to build on.

And, if your opinion of him is valid, and I'm wrong, then it very well could come to pass some other GM will agree with you and be willing to part with real value in order to obtain him.

Chara was pretty dominant in 2013, and pretty dominant in 2014 until he broke his finger vs the Habs in the playoffs.

This year he hurt his knee, and has struggled to get back to form which is know surprise.

I bet Chara is closer to a top 10 Dman next year than a top 20-30 Dman.

If the Bruins put Chara on the block 29 teams will call the Bruins.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Cap is not going to work,
You need to get rid of one of seids/chara to be able to do that, we need millions of cap space, 4th line savings will go to re-signings.
The problem is that chara should be a 2nd pairing D with limited minutes(7M cap hit), seids should be 3rd pairing D with limited minutes(4M cap hit) and we have krug,mcQ and Morrow on those spots with much cheaper contracts and they are much younger.

So we have to get rid of seids sadly, I wanted him to succeed so badly but it's clear he's past his prime with lower body injury adding to that.



seids was ready to return almost a year ago.
now he's had the last years 2nd half, offseason and 70 games to find his game.

Why do you have to get rid of Chara or Seidenberg? other ways to shed salary.

Starting with not having and 4th liner making more than 800K per. follow that with your #5&6 Dman collectively making less than 3m.

i like Krug, but if he can't play on the top 4 then he shouldn't be paid over 3m per.

 

[BNHL]

Zdeno Chara is a really impressive human being with a staggering list of achievements.

In a cap world at his age the return on ice will be left wanting sometimes, but what was Chiarelli to do, not sign him? People that want to lynch Chiarelli now would have already dumped his body in the Harbor last year if he had let Chara walk at last contract signing.

You've always been a keen observer of age and its effects, so I ask you this- where do you see Chara spending the remainder of this contract, and how effective do you think he can be going forward?

I hate aging players and his age is extreme but elite players usually can sustain it longer unless slowed by injury. He's unique in size and fitness but he too will not defy age. I advocate sacrificing 2-3 years of more Chara for future help. I believe he'll be out of hockey in 3 years.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

If you trade Chara you better have a plan for our defense. Hamilton is fine but he is in NO way Charas replacement.

Like any player/trade it depends on the deal.

If we could get a 1st rounder and a young NHL player back I do it.