Leafs faithful won’t miss Chara when he’s gone

Leaf fans should take heart. Zdeno Chara is 42, Patrice Bergeron is 34, David Krejci is 33. How much longer can they torment you? The imposing presence of the gargantuan Chara discourages an opposing team from taking liberties at any scrum, big or small. The baby-face Charlie McAvoy and his associates Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk, David Pastrnak et al will not be as brave when the giant Slovak is no longer around to protect them. He is a unique player in the annals of the game and irreplaceable. No player of his size has ever been of consequence in the NHL and I’ve watched since the 1950s. Good luck Bruins when he’s gone. What do you think, Mr. McGran? — Carlos H. I think Chara has been a very consequential factor for the success of the Boston Bruins. He’s playing again next year. Interesting fella, too. I wonder if it wouldn’t have been a good idea to try and move Nazem Kadri after signing John Tavares. He was coming off a couple of 30-goal seasons and only one playoff suspension. By moving him down to the third line it was a pretty safe bet that he would score less and lose a substantial part of his trade value as a result. While “strength down the middle” is a hockey truism, it’s also possible sometimes, I think, to have too much of a good thing. Like two superstar running backs on a football team. — Allan H. Who would have been third-line centre if they had traded Kadri? They liked their depth there. It was the right call. I’ve been a Leafs fan my whole life; I would like to see them win the Stanley Cup before I die. I believe that Rasmus Sandin will replace Jake Gardiner as early as next season. He’s an elite passer, as is Jeremy Bracco and he can replace William Nylander. I heard a rumour that Carolina offered Brett Pesce and their first-round pick in 2019 for Nylander. Personally, I would have made that trade before the Leafs signed Nylander. Nylander is talented but too soft, not enough sandpaper, and as long as he’s on the Leafs they will never win the Cup. My question for you is, don’t you think the Leafs need a couple of grinding wingers with an attitude that can stay out of the penalty box and score some goals? Do you think that would put them over the top? — George M. Every team can use the player you describe … Too early I think for Sandin and Bracco. I was really down on Mike Babcock but now I am shifting some of that blame to Kyle Dubas. I think he gave more weight to future seasons than to the current one. For example, in the past two seasons, centres were added at the trade deadline. Wouldn’t Babcock have liked Par Lindholm in reserve in case a centre got injured (or suspended)? How did that trade do anything for this season, other than assert GM over coach? I could say the same for the backup goalie situation. — Greg Trading Lindholm helped “now” in that it created an opening for Trevor Moore. I also was getting the impression Babcock wasn’t a Lindholm fan. Dubas “did right” by Lindholm, who’d been courted strongly, by trading him to a team that might need him so he could keep playing. All that said, when Kadri went down to suspension, Lindholm would have been an option at centre. What does a player’s suspension really mean? In the case of Kadri: Did he practise with the team? Was he allowed in the dressing room? Did he travel with the team? — Ted A. A suspension merely forbids the player from playing. In the regular season he gets docked that pay for games missed. They don’t really get paid in the playoffs, so that doesn’t apply. (They do get bonus money depending on how far they go.) Whether he practises (Kadri did) or travels with the team (Kadri didn’t) depends entirely upon the team. Some coaches don’t want the distraction of having a guy around who’s not going to play. But he can’t get out of shape, so a suspended player practising with the team is pretty normal. Travelling too, if it’s a long road trip and that’s where practices are happening.