Player Discussion Zdeno Chara IV

[duffy]

Washed up players don't play 21 minutes per game on the 1st place team in the NHL. He looked old in the restart but he had a very good regular season playing the hardest minutes against the top competition. If the Bruins don't take care of him, Tampa will, and he'd be an outstanding addition for them or any other contender.

This is even more foolish considering that they're already down a LD that was playing 20+ minutes a game.

Tampa would have no use for an old, slow, soft defenseman who can't pass or clear their zone! That is just foolish. All NHL teams are going for size , speed , and puck moving D and Chara only has one of those attributes. I love Chara and what he is done for the B's but it's time to move on. If DS brings him back with the understanding that he play minimum minutes, it would take Butch about 3 games maximum to have him back on the first D pairing and playing 20 plus minutes per game! It is time to go with the kids and if needed trade for more experience.

 

[BMC]

I truly think the layoff between the shutdown and the re-start hurt Chara much more than most people realize- off ice workouts aren't a good substitute for skating every day and playing games. Trust me when you're in your 40s you just don't bounce right back up after a lengthy layoff whether from injury or inactivity. It takes time and he didn't have that once the league announced the re-start.

I think he can still play.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

They asked it of both Carlo and McAvoy when they were rookies.

Each played with Chara no?

We very much underrate Chara.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Tampa would have no use for an old, slow, soft defenseman who can't pass or clear their zone! That is just foolish. All NHL teams are going for size , speed , and puck moving D and Chara only has one of those attributes. I love Chara and what he is done for the B's but it's time to move on. If DS brings him back with the understanding that he play minimum minutes, it would take Butch about 3 games maximum to have him back on the first D pairing and playing 20 plus minutes per game! It is time to go with the kids and if needed trade for more experience.

Half of Tampa's defense was worse than Chara and yet they won the Cup.

 

[Yeti34]

Hopefully they can still bring him back. I would take Chara 10/10 times over Miller

 

[BMC]

I know I've said this before (and so have others) that Chara's minutes need to be managed much better. I understand why Cassidy gives in to the temptation to put him out there 25 minutes a game but he's got to make smarter use of Chara's abilities. And I'm sure Z isn't crazy about playing fewer minutes either but if he wants to continue to be effective & not become just another body out there he needs to accept it.

 

[wintersej]

Each played with Chara no?

We very much underrate Chara.

McAvoy is ready for the role. We very much underrate McAvoy.

 

[loosemoose]

He's still a top defenceman in the 10 foot radius around his own net, but outside of that zone he's probably not NHL caliber anymore. It would be sad to see McAvoy saddled with Chara for another year.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

I truly think the layoff between the shutdown and the re-start hurt Chara much more than most people realize- off ice workouts aren't a good substitute for skating every day and playing games. Trust me when you're in your 40s you just don't bounce right back up after a lengthy layoff whether from injury or inactivity. It takes time and he didn't have that once the league announced the re-start.

I think he can still play.

Yeah and with so much uncertainty about the upcoming season and the likelihood that Sweeney isn’t going to get another defenceman the Bruins need Chara for 1 more year .

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I truly think the layoff between the shutdown and the re-start hurt Chara much more than most people realize- off ice workouts aren't a good substitute for skating every day and playing games. Trust me when you're in your 40s you just don't bounce right back up after a lengthy layoff whether from injury or inactivity. It takes time and he didn't have that once the league announced the re-start.

I think he can still play.

I've said in other threads drawing any conclusions based off the bubble is asinine. It was such a unique situation that you just have to throw it out.

Unless you're gonna say Carlo is a bust and we should dump him for whatever pick we can get because he was by far the worst defenseman on the ice in the bubble

 

[BMC]

I've said in other threads drawing any conclusions based off the bubble is asinine. It was such a unique situation that you just have to throw it out.

Unless you're gonna say Carlo is a bust and we should dump him for whatever pick we can get because he was by far the worst defenseman on the ice in the bubble

Carlo's performance was/is a real head scratcher for me, other than injury I don't know why he played so badly.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

Carlo's performance was/is a real head scratcher for me, other than injury I don't know why he played so badly.

He just never got his legs back which affected his decision making . In hindsight it was a mistake to not take the exhibition games seriously and Carolina wasn’t much of a challenge for them . They just weren’t ready to meet a team as good as Tampa at that point in the new season .

 

[dafoomie]

Tampa would have no use for an old, slow, soft defenseman who can't pass or clear their zone! That is just foolish. All NHL teams are going for size , speed , and puck moving D and Chara only has one of those attributes. I love Chara and what he is done for the B's but it's time to move on. If DS brings him back with the understanding that he play minimum minutes, it would take Butch about 3 games maximum to have him back on the first D pairing and playing 20 plus minutes per game! It is time to go with the kids and if needed trade for more experience.

Tampa just won a Stanley Cup with Luke Schenn, Braydon Coburn, and Zach Bogosian.

Tampa would absolutely love to have one of Hedman, McDonagh, or Chara on the ice at all times and it would give them insurance against what happened to them in 2019 when Hedman got hurt.

 

[rocketdan9]

Tampa just won a Stanley Cup with Luke Schenn, Braydon Coburn, and Zach Bogosian.

Tampa would absolutely love to have one of Hedman, McDonagh, or Chara on the ice at all times and it would give them insurance against what happened to them in 2019 when Hedman got hurt.

They are not taking Chara.... you serious right now?

That team is built on speed and pace. Something Chara lacks at this point of his career

Their D core take lots of risks joining rush, pinching in, stationed at mid ice. Thats how they keep applying pressure offensively.

 

[rocketdan9]

Chara time has come to hang em up and retire. Enjoy family life

Another injury (like broken jaw) could be a disaster at his age. Or something else bad that would require prolonged rehabilitation. I'm glad he hasn't got hit in the eye. They should really make every player wear a visor regardless

The Bruins are retooling for next season and what is he really going to gain from that? His drive would only be towards trying to win another cup

Enjoy retirement and in a few years if wanting to get back to the ice, join as an assistant/special coach to develop young D core. Big Ds, like Lohrei or Wolff would benefit learning from the big guy

 

[mar2kbos]

They have no choice and need to sign him for a year. There is no other D that can bring what Chara does for short year and money

 

[dafoomie]

They are not taking Chara.... you serious right now?

That team is built on speed and pace. Something Chara lacks at this point of his career

Their D core take lots of risks joining rush, pinching in, stationed at mid ice. Thats how they keep applying pressure offensively.

Like I said, Luke Schenn. Braydon Coburn. Zach Bogosian.

They're built around Hedman and McDonagh which allows the other defenseman on the ice to do whatever he wants.

 

[rocketdan9]

Like I said, Luke Schenn. Braydon Coburn. Zach Bogosian.

They're built around Hedman and McDonagh which allows the other defenseman on the ice to do whatever he wants.

Coburn and Bogosian are very good skating Ds. Schenn is probably the slowest D they have but still much more mobile than Chara

Analyze their team. They have very good skates from top to bottom

Sure Hedman, McDonagh help. But they also pair them with good Ds/mobile. Like Sergachev/Cernak

 

[dafoomie]

Coburn and Bogosian are very good skating Ds. Schenn is probably the slowest D they have but still much more mobile than Chara

Analyze their team. They have very good skates from top to bottom

Sure Hedman, McDonagh help. But they also pair them with good Ds/mobile. Like Sergachev/Cernak

Yeah and they would obviously pair Chara with another good skating D and give them the combo they like so much on all 3 pairs.

Again, Chara played 21 mins a game on the top pair with McAvoy on the 1st place team in the regular season. Played very well all season. If you don't think that's enough for Tampa's 3rd pair there isn't a conversation to be had here.

 

[bruinmann77]

I would like him back just to help one of the two youngsters that will be on the back end

 

[BruinDust]

Chara time has come to hang em up and retire. Enjoy family life

Another injury (like broken jaw) could be a disaster at his age. Or something else bad that would require prolonged rehabilitation. I'm glad he hasn't got hit in the eye. They should really make every player wear a visor regardless

The Bruins are retooling for next season and what is he really going to gain from that? His drive would only be towards trying to win another cup

Enjoy retirement and in a few years if wanting to get back to the ice, join as an assistant/special coach to develop young D core. Big Ds, like Lohrei or Wolff would benefit learning from the big guy

He's 43. Now one could argue a 43-year old isn't capable of playing in the NHL, but relatively speaking he's not THAT old.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Yeah and they would obviously pair Chara with another good skating D and give them the combo they like so much on all 3 pairs.

Again, Chara played 21 mins a game on the top pair with McAvoy on the 1st place team in the regular season. Played very well all season. If you don't think that's enough for Tampa's 3rd pair there isn't a conversation to be had here.

Regular season means nothing, there is no parade for that. The post season is all that matters and Chara was exposed in the playoffs. Just to add we do not have a Hedman and McDonagh as a top pair to compare to them. Shattenkirk was pretty good for them, wish we got him instead of Backes a few years ago. We had Mac doing double duty in the playoffs digging the puck out of both sides and taking too many cheapshots. Kid was being targeted and there was no answer.

 

[rocketdan9]

He's 43. Now one could argue a 43-year old isn't capable of playing in the NHL, but relatively speaking he's not THAT old.

I beg to differ young man Bruindust lol

try recovering from a hard workout. It takes that much longer

Aging sucks. Especially at 40 + its more noticeable

 

[finchster]

I beg to differ young man Bruindust lol

try recovering from a hard workout. It takes that much longer

Aging sucks. Especially at 40 + its more noticeable

Sure, but you aren't an elite level athlete who trains every day. Father time remains undefeated, but any comparison of our trials and tribulations to someone like Chara doesn't really work.

Playing 21 minutes a night for a top team in the league illustrates he isn't done.

However, I concede it might be the right time to move on from Chara, but the Bruins need to get another defencemen first. They can't lose 2 LHD and not find at least one replacement. If they can't find a replacement, then sign Chara.

 

[Dr Hook]

He's 43. Now one could argue a 43-year old isn't capable of playing in the NHL, but relatively speaking he's not THAT old.

Of course not, he's younger than I am (and probably a lot of us here). In general terms he is not probaby even quite middle-aged by modern standards. In elite level professional sports, he is an old, old man.