Veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara is moving to his second team in as many years since leaving the Boston Bruins at the end of the 2020 season. The 44-year-old Slovak spent a season with the Washington Capitals, where he played 55 regular season games and 5 postseason games. Chara averaged 18:19 minutes on ice during the regular season and 16:16 minutes on ice in the postseason. He accounted for ten points with the Capitals, scoring two goals and eight assists.
Goalie Ilya Samsonov #30 and Zdeno Chara #33 of the Washington Capitals and James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Philadelphia Flyers
The New York Islanders announced they’d come to terms with Chara on Saturday, signing the veteran defenseman to a one-year contract. Chara started his NHL career with the Islanders in 1997. He played four of the five seasons between 1997 and 2001 with the Islanders – the only exception was the 1998-99 season which he played with the Lowell Rock Monsters in the AHL.
Chara, whose career is sure to land him in the Hall of Fame one day, addressed his return to Long Island on the heels of the announcement. He was visibly emotional and “humbled” by the opportunity to return to the place where it all began in North America’s top-flight hockey league.
“It’s kind of full circle,” Chara said to media reporters on Saturday. “Who would know that this would work out with the way it did after 20-some years. I’m very honored and humbled to be an Islander again.” [Source: ESPN].
Chara joins an Islanders team that has been knocking on the door of the Stanley Cup finals in back-to-back seasons. The Islanders reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2019-20 and 2020-21 – both times though, Barry Trotz’ side lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s safe to say, the Bolts have been their kryptonite.
Chara was not short of suitors in the offseason. Several teams were interested in the seasoned veteran before he settled on the Islanders. The move made sense on a personal level with his family living in nearby Boston. To celebrate his return to the Islanders, Chara donned one of his old Islander jerseys and posted a picture to his Instagram. The caption said, “I had to get some dust off them, but sure they are still looking good!”
Chara has played 1,608 games in the NHL since joining the league in 1997. He currently ranks 13th overall in the league for NHL games played. Overall, Chara has scored 207 career goals and 459 career assists. He was a Stanley Cup champion with the Boston Bruins in 2011, after beating the Vancouver Canucks in game 7.
Chara could potentially become a Stanley Cup champion again if the Islanders go one better this season and reach the Stanley Cup finals. According to multiple top-rated sportsbooks, the NY Islanders are amongst the top NHL picks to win in the upcoming season. Not to mention, the Islanders are also the value play as the eighth best bet of the Top 10 teams shortlisted by oddsmakers as legitimate contenders.
Additionally, by signing onto another season in the NHL, Chara’s chances of representing Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics were boosted too. Although the Slovak has refuted the idea that his decision to play in the NHL is in anyway linked to competing at the Olympics, should he do so, it would be making his fourth appearance at the Olympics for Slovakia.
Should Chara get called up for national duty, it wouldn’t be surprising at all. In his own words, “I love the game,” said Chara “I have passion for the game and believe I can still play. Those are the things that you need. I don’t think you need to say much besides having love for the game and having passion and wanting to win.”
Of course, that statement was in reference to his joining the Islanders at age 44. But it applies to his career and it’s a testament to his longevity in the league.
Richard Panik #14 of the Washington Capitals
Joining Chara in Long Island is countryman and former Capitals teammate Richard Panik. The Islanders acquired Panik from the Detroit Red Wings in July, along with a second-round draft pick this year for defenseman Nick Leddy. The forward has scored 88 goals and 106 assists in 517 regular season games over the course of nine seasons spanning a number of teams – from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings.
At 30 years of age, Panik has made the rounds in the league. He started last season with the Capitals before being traded to the Red Wings. He had four goals, nine assists through 48 games between the Capitals and Red Wings.
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