Boston Bruins sign Zdeno Chara to one-year extension

After a bit of speculation regarding his retirement, defenseman Zdeno Chara has signed a one-year extension with the Boston Bruins worth at least $2 million.

The Boston Bruins have had defenseman Zdeno Chara as their captain since the 2006-07 season. However, since he’s past the age of 40, he has elected to start going with one-year deals. After a bit of speculation, Chara has ended the talk of retirement by signing a one-year extension.

His one year deal will be worth at least $2 million. Additionally, Chara will have the opportunity to make an additional $1.75 million in performance bonuses. So his deal will be worth between $2 million and $3.75 million.

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Chara is currently the second-oldest player in the NHL, trailing only fellow 42-year-old Matt Cullen, who is about 100 days older than him. This season, the Bruins captain has four goals, seven assists, and 11 points in 57 games, as of March 23.

The Bruins have made it a point to rest him a bit more than usual. Chara’s 20:59 average ice time per game is his lowest since the 1998-99 season. Additionally, he has missed 19 games due to injury.

Chara is rising up the ranks in several Bruins categories. He is sixth in games played with 948. Should Chara reach 1,000 games played with Boston (which seems likely), he’ll be just the sixth player in franchise history to reach the milestone. The Bruins captain could pass Wayne Cashman for fifth place should he play in most of the games next season.

Also, Chara has 464 points in his 13 seasons in Boston. Among defensemen, this is fourth in franchise history, trailing only Hall of Famers Raymond Bourque, Bobby Orr, and Dit Clapper. Chara is 10 points behind Clapper and should be joining them in the Hall of Fame shortly after he retires.

This is a very reasonable deal for Chara. He will likely see his role further reduced, as players like Charlie McAvoy continue to improve and take over the heavy minutes his captain used to gobble up. At this point, a lot of Chara’s value comes off the ice, though he is still a very serviceable defenseman. However, age, as it always does, is catching up to him.

It remains to be seen precisely how Chara can get his performance bonuses, but it will likely be tied to games played. The Washington Capitals did this with Brooks Orpik when they signed him to a one-year deal during the summer of 2018.

Let the speculation end – Chara’s sticking around for one more year.