Zdeno Chara Wants A Contract Extension; Is He Worth It?
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Zdeno Chara doesn't appear ready to leave the Bruins, let alone hang up his skates. The 40-year-old Bruins captain and defensive stalwart had a bounce-back season in 2016-17 after it appeared he was just about cooked, and now Chara is talking extension.
Chara is only signed through next season, when he will give the Bruins some salary cap relief as his hit drops from $7 million to $4 million. But when he spoke to reporters during Tuesday's end-of-season media availability, Chara said in no uncertain terms that he wants to stay with the Bruins beyond next season.
"It's something that I want to continue to play [in Boston]," said Chara. "I take a lot of pride in my offseason training and being ready for every season. But again, it's something that probably management has to think about and make a decision on that.
"But I said it many times, I want to play, I would like to play beyond this contract, I want to still be very effective and still wanting to get better and improve and maintain my game and keep adding to my game."
Chara clearly isn't what he used to be offensively. But on a pairing with 20-year-old rookie defenseman Brandon Carlo for most of the season, Chara proved that he can still be an effective defender and penalty-killer even as he hit age 40. But he also continued to play the heaviest minutes on the team, which eventually caught up to him in an up-and-down playoff series against the Senators.
Regardless of Chara's performance last season, it should not be an immediate need for the Bruins to extend him. They would be much better suited letting him play out next season at $4 million and seeing how it goes. If Chara can still be a viable top-four defensive defenseman, he could then become a candidate for a one-to-two-year extension. Anything more than that would simply be too much for a player on the wrong side of 40, no matter who it is.
Chara averaged 28:46 of ice time in the playoffs, and it would behoove the Bruins to reduce his minutes moving forward. It certainly helps that the Bruins appear to have their No. 1 defenseman of the future in Charlie McAvoy, who mostly played on a pairing with Chara during the playoffs. Having McAvoy in the lineup for a full season can ease the transition as ice time is adjusted toward younger, fresher players.
As for Chara's contract, he could still prove valuable at $3-4 million per year on one last contract. He could potentially be an effective second-pairing defenseman for the Bruins as he plays into his 40s - barring a sharp decline in the next 2-3 years, which is certainly possible.
Chara would also continue to provide value beyond what he does on the ice. His work ethic, toughness, and knowledge of the game is unquestioned, and he would continue to be a great mentor for Carlo as he continues to develop into potentially becoming the Bruins' next shutdown defender.
The only concern for the Bruins with Chara moving forward is that they don't overpay for him in terms of years or AAV. That's not exactly the safest bet, considering the contract they handed out to 32-year-old David Backes last summer.
But if Chara can agree to a significant reduction in both salary and ice time, he can continue to be a valuable piece for the Bruins defense as they transition into the next generation.
Matt Dolloff is a writer/producer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
