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With the New York Islanders mired near the bottom of the NHL standings, general manager Lou Lamoriello could be planning to make some moves as the March 21 trade deadline approaches. That may involve shopping pending unrestricted free agents such as Zach Parise, Cal Clutterbuck, Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara.
Those aging veterans are well past their best-before dates, though the 44-year-old Chara is reportedly drawing interest around the league. On Feb 23, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports teams had asked Lamoriello to keep them in mind if he decides to move the 6’9″, 250-pound defenseman.
A future Hall of Famer, Chara recently set the NHL record for most games played by a defenseman with 1,652. Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2008-09, he captained the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011 and led them to the Cup Final in 2013 and 2019.
Chara, however, has noticeably slowed and isn’t the offensive threat he was in his prime. Nevertheless, LeBrun said he remains a “major leader and a very physical presence that could help a contender on that third pairing for sure.”
Sidelined since Feb. 26 with an upper-body injury, Chara was placed on injured reserve Saturday. But he could still draw attention should he return before the trade deadline.
Carrying a $750,000 base salary with $750,000 in performance bonuses, Chara would be an affordable pickup for clubs seeking experienced depth on the blue line. The Islanders’ asking price, perhaps a fifth-round pick, wouldn’t be expensive.
Chara lacks a no-trade clause, but LeBrun believes Lamoriello would do right by the big defenseman by asking him whether he wants to be traded to a contender. If he does, here are five potential landing spots. Feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section.
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Chara has played 24 seasons, and the 14 he spent with the Bruins were some of his most productive. Capt throughout his tenurehe won the Norris Trophy in 2009, reached or exceeded 50 points three times and led them to the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Chara isn’t the dominant player he was during those years, but he could provide Boston with a welcome shot of experience and leadership as a third-pairing defenseman. It would also perhaps be a good way for him to close his NHL career.
Though no longer a big-minute blueliner, Chara is still averaging 18:16 of ice time per game, including 1:32 of short-handed ice time. So there it is among their leaders with 92 hits and 58 blocked shots. His affordable contract would enable the Bruins to use most of their $5 million in projected deadline cap space for other moves.
Boston could be one of the few clubs (perhaps the only one) Chara would accept as a trade destination. He shouldn’t find it difficult to readjust to the system since he’s been away for only two years. And his leadership, experience and toughness could make him a worthwhile addition for management.
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The Florida Panthers have been linked to notable defensemen such as the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun, the Montreal Canadiens’ Ben Chiarot and the Seattle Kraken’s Mark Giordano. If their efforts to acquire one of them prove unsuccessful, perhaps they would consider a more affordable option such as Chara.
Chychrun, Chiarot and Giordano are left-side defensemen, which could be an area of concern for the Panthers down the stretch and into the postseason. They could use more experienced depth behind MacKenzie Weegar on that side.
Chara could be a good fit. His size and physical presence would prove useful around the Panthers’ net, while his toughness could also serve as a deterrent for opponents who want to take liberties on skill players such as Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. His leadership could benefit Florida in its quest for its first Stanley Cup.
With $3.7 million in projected Trade deadline cap space, the Panthers could easily take on Chara’s cap hit and still make another addition. He might cost them at most their extra sixth-rounder in this year’s draft.
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On Feb. 22, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike DeFabo mused about the possibility that the Pittsburgh Penguins could add “a bigger, stronger body type who can clear the crease and possibly throw a punch” to their blue-line corps. While he didn’t mention Zdeno Chara as a trade target, the seven-time All-Star could address that need.
DeFabo, however, cited the Penguins’ limited trade assets and cap space as reasons why they would pursue an “under-the-radar defenseman.” Chara wouldn’t pass under anyone’s radar, but his bargain salary would fit easily within their $3.7 million projected Trade deadline cap space.
Mike Matheson’s upper body injury could also provide the Penguins with an opening to bring in someone such as Chara. He would fill the third-defense pairing role and could alternate as a seventh defenseman once Matheson returns to action.
Chara’s many years of postseason experience would also prove invaluable for the Penguins. With Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in the final seasons of their contracts, this could be the last opportunity for Pittsburgh to stage another Stanley Cup run with those core players. Adding someone with Chara’s toughness and size for blue-line depth could help the Pens achieve that goal.
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At this stage in Chara’s career, he could be unwilling to endure the travel required of Western Conference clubs. However, the St. Louis Blues could be an intriguing option if no suitable Eastern clubs seek his services.
The Blues know Chara well from their epic seven-game Stanley Cup Final with the Bruins in 2019. His legendary toughness and inspiring leadership were on full display after he suffered a broken jaw in Game 4. Undaunted, he returned to action in Game 5 wearing a full face shield and remained in the lineup for the remainder of the series.
On Aug. 18, Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reported (h/t NESN’s Lauren Campbell) that Chara passed on signing with the Blues as a free agent, citing his preference to remain close to family in Boston. Facing perhaps the end of his NHL playing days, maybe a few months with St. Louis might be preferable to an early offseason.
The Blues have been linked in trade rumors to other defensemen, including the Canadiens’ Ben Chiarot and the Kraken’s Mark Giordano. theirs Extremely limited cap spacehowever, could force them to consider more affordable options such as Chara to shore up their left-side depth.
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The left side of the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line took a hit when Jake Muzzin was sidelined by a head injury Feb 21. He was placed on long-term injured reserve two days later, which allows the Leafs to exceed the $81.5 million salary cap if they wish to add a replacement. If Muzzin is out for the remainder of the regular season, Toronto will have to find an experienced left-side defenseman with size and a physical style.
Chara isn’t the name that springs to mind given the recent trade speculation linking the Leafs to younger options such as the Canadiens’ Ben Chiarot and Dallas Stars’ John Klingerberg. However, he could prove to be a cost-effective addition if the Leafs fail to land a younger defenseman. Given his low cap hit, they could acquire him as a depth piece while pursuing other options.
The Slovak’s leadership would be invaluable to a team that has lost in the opening round of the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. The Toronto veterans previously brought in—Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Nick Foligno—failed to lead the Leafs to postseason success. However, they lacked Chara’s resume of playoff success.
The postseason often features a more physical, slower game that requires depth in rugged players with size and toughness as well as skill. Chara’s style of play along with his fearsome reputation as an on-ice leader could provide the Leafs the nudge they need to finally taste playoff success.
Stats accurate through Sunday and via NHL.com. Salary cap info via CapFriendly.
