When I saw the
tweet from Ken Campbell my first thought was ‘oh this got to be a fake.’
While the writing was on the wall, it still doesn’t make it any less of surprise to learn that after 14 seasons as captain of the Boston Bruins, Chara is no longer a Bruin.
Confirming that his time in Boston has come to an end on Instagram, Chara reveals “The Boston Bruins have informed me that they plan to move forward with their many younger and talented players and I respect their decision.”
Chara’s deal with the Washington Capitals is for one year with a cap hit of $795,000. The Bruins and Capitals will meet eight times in the coming season as members of the newly formed “East” division.
Chara’s depature from Boston comes two months after Torey Krug did the same, joining the Blues in St. Louis on a seven-year contract.
With Chara and Krug no longer in play, Jakub Zboril, Urho Vaakanainen and Jeremy Lauzon will all be given an opportunity to earn an increased role with the Bruins, leaving the Bruins with a ton of youth and inexperience on the left side of their defense.
It’s a move that makes sense as the Bruins are heading in the direction of a youth movement, but it’s undoubtedly going to feel weird seeing Chara wearing a Capitals uniform.
With Chara in Washington, Charlie McAvoy will be given the keys to the Bruins defensive core, a role he most certainly deserves.
It’s sad to think that Chara never really got one last go around at TD Garden in front of the Bruins fans that loved him for 14 seasons. It’s sad to think that when Chara makes his first appearance at TD Garden as a member of the Capitals, a single fan won’t be in attendance.
But hey, in 2020 we’ve learned to live with the sad and move on from it.
I very much look forward to seeing Chara and Brad Marchand skate against each other eight times this season.
For the countless memories, for your work in the community, for putting the Bruins back on the map, and for the Stanley Cup, Boston thanks you.
Boston Bruins Blogger • 
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