The New York Islanders announced yesterday that they’ve signed defenseman Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract.
Chara was originally drafted by the Islanders in 1996 and played with the team for four seasons upon entering the league. He then most notably went on to captain the Boston Bruins for well over a decade, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2011. Last season, Chara played with the Washington Capitals.
With the Capitals, Chara ranked fifth amongst the team’s defenders in ice time, averaging 18:19 per game. That said, he played a huge role on the penalty kill, leading all skaters on the team in shorthanded ice time. He also faced the third-highest quality of competition amongst Washington’s defenders, according to Hockey Abstract.
Despite him now being 44 years old, it’s clear that Chara is still an effective NHL defenseman. However, it’ll be interesting to see how the defender is used with the Islanders.
Chara would be most effective in a bottom-pairing role but that would most likely mean Andy Greene taking a spot on the second pairing. The hole on the Islanders’ blue line was left by Nick Leddy, who was taking on a top-four role, but it’s questionable as to whether Chara would be a good fit that high in the lineup. Especially considering Chara would then likely be paired with Scott Mayfield, it would make for a pairing that can defend very effectively, but wouldn’t be able to help out a ton offensively. That said, Chara can still take on tough matchups and could also be used on the penalty kill, so his arrival will provide options for the Islanders.
Chara and Greene would bring somewhat similar skillsets to the table at this point, as veterans who will be reliable in their own end but won't produce much offense and should likely used in a defensive role. Based on who's available though, we can be confident that one of them would take a spot on the second pairing.
With the addition of Chara, it seems as though it’s less likely that Erik Gustafsson gets a roster spot. Gustafsson could still be used as a spare but it seems as though a permanent role in the lineup is highly unlikely.
The Islanders are likely done making adjustments to their blue line for now but it’ll be interesting to see how things play out. There’s no doubt Chara can still play, it’ll just be a matter of how large of a role he can take on with the team.
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