At 40, Chara not done yet
B’s captain has more to prove
Zdeno Chara’s place in hockey history is cemented.
He has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy six times and has one on his shelf. He’s a six-time All-Star and, when he was a regular participant in the midseason extravaganza, he owned the hardest shot competition. The Bruins captain, at 6-foot-9 and 265 pounds, is such a unique physical specimen that he will get Hall of Fame consideration when he retires.
But as much as he’s proven in the game, Chara still has more to prove — that he can be a formidable player as a 40-year-old in today’s go-go NHL.
“You always have to prove yourself, no matter your age, no matter what kind of season you had. You can have an MVP season, but you still have to come back and prove it again,” Chara said yesterday after captain’s practice in Brighton. “I can talk about my Norris Trophy years and all that stuff, but every year I came back and wanted to prove that I belonged as a top defenseman. Now it’s the same thing. All the (Norris) nominations are probably past, but I still want to contribute to the game just like I did before.
“The game’s changed a little bit and the way they look at the defensemen and how they’re judged sometimes, but it doesn’t really affect me. I always want to come back and be motivated, do whatever I can and play the best for the team. I always felt that I can play for a long time and that I’m in shape. I’m healthy. That’s just what I wish for me — to be healthy so I can play for a long time and still be very effective.”
Chara is embarking on the final season of a seven-year, $45 million contract. He’s no longer at the top of the pay scale for Bruins defensemen as his salary and cap hit drop to $4 million this year. (Torey Krug tops the list at $5.25 million a year.) His appearances on the power play are of the cameo variety.
There is no guarantee he will finish his career in Black and Gold. The B’s have a bevy of left shot defensemen in their system — Jakub Zboril, Robbie O’Gara, Jeremy Lauzon, Urho Vaakanainen — who will be knocking on the door this year or next.
But he proved last year he can be a very valuable player at the age of 39. He doesn’t think 40 will be much different.
Chara said there have been no contract extension talks, but he’d be open to talking during the season.
“I would be. There’s no secrets about that. I want to stay here and continue to play,” he said.
Just how long he wants to play could be a sticking point.
“I definitely want to play beyond this season,” Chara said. “It’s really hard to put a number on it. Some people do, some people don’t. I just obviously want to play longer than this season.”
While the B’s youth movement may one day end Chara’s run, he has taken to the role of mentor. He played most of last season with rookie Brandon Carlo and helped the Colorado native have a very good debut season. In the playoffs, he played some with rookie Charlie McAvoy and the Boston University product also benefited from his time with the captain.
It is a good bet Chara, who was a plus-16 from the time Bruce Cassidy took over as coach, will start the 2017-18 season with either Carlo or McAvoy on his right side.
“I really enjoy being around the young guys,” Chara said. “I enjoy coming to the rink every day and enjoy playing with them. It’s a little bit of a teaching process, a little friendship and kind of the bonding. You’ve got to have respect for each other and treat each other equally no matter how many games you’ve played. I always treated the guy next to me as an equal.”
Bruins notes
David Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry, said there has been no appreciable movement in talks with the Bruins regarding a new contract for the budding star other than that the sides are working on an eight-year deal.
“No progress yet but we are discussing the eightyear term together,” Barry said in an email.
It is widely believed the right winger is looking for a deal in the ballpark of the one signed by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who like Pastrnak is coming out of his entry level contract. Draisaitl signed an eightyear deal worth $8.5 million a season earlier this summer. The B’s have offered Pastrnak six or seven years at $6 million per.
While centers like Draisaitl are usually valued more than wingers, the players’ production has been comparable. In 172 NHL games, Pastrnak has 59 goals and 123 points for an average of .715 points per game. In 191 games, Drasaitl has 50 goals and 137 points for an average of .717 points per game.