Another Bruins rival is reportedly interested in Zdeno Chara
Things might be about to get a lot worse for those who thought Zdeno Chara in a Washington Capitals jersey was an ugly and unnatural sight, as the former Bruins captain has reportedly drawn interest from the St. Louis Blues.
“For the second straight summer, they’ve expressed interest in Zdeno Chara, according to a league source,” Blues reporter Jeremy Rutherford wrote for The Athletic. “Chara could provide a veteran to partner with Parayko, not to mention that the 6-foot-9, 250-pound defenseman could give the Blues the presence in front of their own net they’ve been desperately lacking.”
Hmm… gross!
Out of the picture in Boston after 14 years as the team’s captain, the 44-year-old Chara signed a one-year deal with the Capitals before the start of the season, and finished with 10 points and a plus-5 rating, along with 18:19 of nightly time on ice, in a season that came with just one missed game for the 6-foot-9 defender.
And speaking after his season in Washington, which ended with a five-game series loss to the Bruins in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Chara was non-committal when discussing his playing future for 2021-22 and beyond.
“I think it’s not always a decision I can make myself,” Chara said. “Sometimes there are things in life you have to realize, and I have to have a conversation with my wife and children and see where we want to be in the next few days or weeks. After those conversations, I’m going to probably let the emotions settle in and see where I’m at.”
It’s worth mentioning that Chara’s family remained in Boston during his five-month excursion to DC. That’s unlikely to change with Chara only being offered one-year deals, and it’s why the odds of Chara actually signing with the Blues (or any Western Conference team for that matter) are currently considered a “long shot,” according to Rutherford.
But a one-year trek to St. Louis as a Blue would also come with some welcomed reunions for Chara.
On the ice, Chara would once again skate as a left-side fixture with Torey Krug. Teammates in Boston from 2013 through 2020, it would give the B’s a look into what would’ve happened had they decided to keep both Chara and Krug after the 2020 postseason, which is ultimately what both players wanted. But behind the bench, the Blues are coached by Craig Berube, who was a teammate of Chara’s during his playing days, with both players on the 2000-01 New York Islanders.
The tallest player in league history and Stanley Cup winner in 2011, Chara currently stands 13th on the league’s all-time games played list (1,608), and could potentially move all the up to sixth in 2021-22 should he return for another season.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
