Player Discussion Zdeno Chara - III

[BruinDust]

With the uncertainty surrounding next season, my gut tells me Chara is finished. I hope I'm wrong but seems like the writing is on the wall.

 

[DKH]

Love him iconic but how can you
1. Play up tempo
2. Draft & develop ?

they used 3 HIGH picks on LHD
Zboril
Lauzon
Lindgren
Vaakanainen

it’s time damn it

you want to look fast ?

have a D that can move the puck

It’s nuts if they bring him back

you inhibit style & development bringing him back

I would be stunned if Sweeney does knowing how he operates he brings back

wake up

 

[Flannelman]

Love the guy
Top notch, Quality human being.
He’s done so much for the org. Grateful
Offer him a spot within the organization if he wants it

 

[ap3lovr]

Love him iconic but how can you
1. Play up tempo
2. Draft & develop ?

they used 3 HIGH picks on LHD
Zboril
Lauzon
Lindgren
Vaakanainen

it’s time damn it

you want to look fast ?

have a D that can move the puck

It’s nuts if they bring him back

you inhibit style & development bringing him back

I would be stunned if Sweeney does knowing how he operates he brings back

wake up

If Chara asks to come back, you bring him back. He has earned to decide when to call it quits with this team. If he decides to walk away, you retire his number opening night of next season. He came to this team when it was in the gutter. He deserves to go out on his terms.

 

[DKH]

If Chara asks to come back, you bring him back. He has earned to decide when to call it quits with this team. If he decides to walk away, you retire his number opening night of next season. He came to this team when it was in the gutter. He deserves to go out on his terms.

Bring him back but just waive/trade Zboril and Lauzon

I’m amazed Sweeney & Neely would put Chara over their careers

 

[Ladyfan]

If Big Z is done as a player than give him a spot with Boston . He has such good character and I think would be able to help young players.

 

[Pia8988]

If Big Z is done as a player than give him a spot with Boston . He has such good character and I think would be able to help young players.

Make him anything that means he isn't on the ice anymore. His go to of just flipping the puck either out of the zone or to just random parts of the ice is killer. Great career, hall of famer, but he holds this team back with his play. Father time wins again.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

If Chara asks to come back, you bring him back. He has earned to decide when to call it quits with this team. If he decides to walk away, you retire his number opening night of next season. He came to this team when it was in the gutter. He deserves to go out on his terms.

He is going to deteriorate as an NHL player even more.


Its time to let go and give a guy like Lauzon and Zboril
time to show what they have at an NHL level.
Gryz, Lauzon, Zboril, Moore s/b the LD next year.

 

[ap3lovr]

Bring him back but just waive/trade Zboril and Lauzon

I’m amazed Sweeney & Neely would put Chara over their careers

They have to play their way onto the team like anyone else. They are battling Moore and Clifton for a spot on the roster. I wouldn't walk away from someone who is still one of the best defensive players in the game because someone wants to play "up tempo". Funny, last season two teams that played anything but up tempo made the finals. Just because we lost to an up tempo team doesn't mean we need to match their playing style.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

If Chara asks to come back, you bring him back. He has earned to decide when to call it quits with this team. If he decides to walk away, you retire his number opening night of next season. He came to this team when it was in the gutter. He deserves to go out on his terms.

Bad management 101

 

[DKH]

They have to play their way onto the team like anyone else. They are battling Moore and Clifton for a spot on the roster. I wouldn't walk away from someone who is still one of the best defensive players in the game because someone wants to play "up tempo". Funny, last season two teams that played anything but up tempo made the finals. Just because we lost to an up tempo team doesn't mean we need to match their playing style.

They bring him back and play over those kids they are dummies

 

[ON3M4N]

IF Chara calls it a career, I hope fans are able to be back at the start of next season. Opening night they honor Chara and raise his number to the rafters. He comes out wearing his Bruins jersey and gives a retirement speech followed by his number being raised. After his number is raised Bergeron skates over to give him a hug and shake his hand. As Bergeron goes to skate away Chara continues to keep his grip and pulls Bergeron back in. Chara reaches up takes the "C" off his jersey and puts it on Bergeron jersey.

 

[chrisab123]

Chara's next stop should be the HOF. He looked done for most of the year. No shame in trying to come back the year after you almost win another cup. Great career for an all-time great defenseman. Give Bergeron the C next year.

 

[Alicat]

I think Chara deserves a socially distanced duck boat parade in the city so we can give him the send off he deserves if this is it for him.

 

[Ladyfan]

Maybe Z will take his family and move home.

 

[Bruinaura]

I'm not entirely convinced he'll retire, but to me a big unknown is what next season is going to look like. If it's more bubble hockey, is that going to be worth it to him at this point in his career?

If this is it.... Thanks Zee. I'll admit I didn't like you at the beginning of your career but you managed to become one of my favorites.

 

[trenton1]

Sadly, his time seems over as a Bruin. I'd consider him as a 6/7 with certain matchups, sort of the way Detroit deployed Chelios circa 2007-9. Other than that, I think time is up. Would he be a decent asset as a 6/7/8 for 850k? Probably somewhere. But here, it's complicated. He'd be giving the captaincy to Bergeron. It seems over unless he goes all the way down to that role. It's not unprecedented, but it seems unlikely.

Maybe he will play a couple of years in Europe.

 

[Blowfish]

Maybe Z will take his family and move home.

I'm thinking it's that time....

He and Bergeron turned this franchise around. Love you Chara but probably that time to retire.

 

[bp13]

It certainly looked like he was done over the last month.

The one caveat I'd throw in there is that he's had those stretches before in recent years where he looked cooked, then he comes back stronger the next year. So, if he's willing to play 3rd pair minutes and wants in, I'd look hard at that option given his leadership qualities. But what DKH notes is spot on...you loaded up in the draft on LD...you gotta give those kids minutes soon. And I don't think you can go into a season with Krug, Gryz and Chara as your LD lineup. That's just not good enough.

 

[PB37]

He's still good around the net. But the further out the play goes, his effectiveness does too. He can't help transition the puck because he's too slow to help open lanes, and nothing clean ever comes off his stick.

The man is an absolute legend in this town and is on the Mount Rushmore of Bruins defensemen. But it's time for him to retire, take a year off and come back as a coach or front office scout. He's super smart and has a lifetime of hockey knowledge that will serve him well.

 

[BBB24]

If Chara asks to come back, you bring him back. He has earned to decide when to call it quits with this team. If he decides to walk away, you retire his number opening night of next season. He came to this team when it was in the gutter. He deserves to go out on his terms.

The previous two season were for him to decide what he wanted to do, it now time to move on from him. If this playoffs did not show people he was cooked then nothing will. I am betting he is going to retire and work within the organization, he is a smart man and he can see what everyone else sees.

 

[hrdpuk]

Z was great . But it's over for him Too slow mentally and physically in a very demanding sport . Krug should be gone also . There is not enough upside to a offensive minded D unless their defense is excellent , his is not

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

If Chara asks to come back, you bring him back. He has earned to decide when to call it quits with this team. If he decides to walk away, you retire his number opening night of next season. He came to this team when it was in the gutter. He deserves to go out on his terms.

No one deserves that. Management is put in place to objectively evaluate what assets they have in order to yield the best team.

The concept of a player “earning the right” to decide how long he gets to stay on the team no matter his performance is absolutely absurd. No individual holds the right over management to decide his or her standing within the greater organization.

He’s been one of the biggest ever contributors to this organization, but this viewpoint reminds me of the Claude people who insisted we could never fire him because “no one else is available”.

 

[BruinDust]

He is going to deteriorate as an NHL player even more.


Its time to let go and give a guy like Lauzon and Zboril
time to show what they have at an NHL level.
Gryz, Lauzon, Zboril, Moore s/b the LD next year.

Are we trying to compete with the Habs for the shallowest group of LD in the league? Because that's what this is.

 

[alg363636]

Love the guy more than I can explain. He's lead this team through so many great seasons and been such a rock for our defense. I will miss him terribly.

That being said, it is time. He can't keep up with the game anymore and we have the organizational depth to replace him with someone who can. When you're team who wants the cup, you've got to make this kind of hard choices. We are a better team without him on the roster, unfortunately.

I hope he retires a Bruin and gets a job with the team. I'd love to see him as a development coach. I think he'd be fantastic.

If he decides to go free agency, I could see a team signing him for the league minimum - he can PK a younger team might want his leadership. If he does I wish him nothing but the best and will patiently wait until we can hang his jersey up.

He's a legend and HOFer. We've been lucky.