Last week, captain Zdeno Chara reiterated his desire to continue playing for the Boston Bruins beyond this season.
The 40-year-old defenseman’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Don Sweeney admitted Thursday that he’s already discussed a contract extension with Chara and the sides could come to an agreement sooner than later.
“He would like to continue to play hockey and we would like to continue to have him part of the Boston Bruins,” Sweeney said. “We’ll monitor that as we go through camp, as we go through the start of the season and continue to have those talks. It’s important for him to understand we’re in his court in that regard, but there’s no timetable to have those discussions.
“He wants to play. I think he can play and he’s an impactful player, so hopefully, we can look forward to having him while he monitors how long he wants to play.”
Despite criticism, Chara remains a top-pairing defenseman. He’ll admit his game has changed and he focused on improving his speed and agility during the offseason. He’s still in incredible shape and will be playing top minutes again with likely partner Brandon Carlo.
“There’s interest on both sides,” Chara said on the possibility of extending his contract. “I would be more than happy to stay with this organization that I signed with in 2006. It’s been an absolute thrill for me to be part of this organization and I want to continue to play beyond this season.”
The team conducted its off-ice testing on Thursday, and once again, Chara remains the reigning pull-up champion. The 6-foot-9, 250-pounder finished with 25. Fans may notice his numbers are down from previous training camps, but that’s because the testing has changed.
In the past, he’s recorded highs of 37 and 35. This time each player had to wait for the buzzer to perform a pull-up, so it was more difficult. The fact that Chara reached 25 is still amazing.
“You can’t beat him,” said defenseman Kevan Miller, who once tied Chara with 35. “He’s still got it. He’s extremely impressive. It’s almost like he gets stronger every year; it’s crazy. He looks great right now and he’s an inspiration for us all and he pushes the guys. It’s healthy competition.”
More notes
- Sweeney explained there were no surprises and every player passed their physical and off-ice testing on Thursday. Rookie goalie Daniel Vladar is the only player not in camp because he recently had two pins removed from each of his wrists after an offseason training injury. He is expected to join the team at some point during camp. Rookie defenseman Emil Johansson, who suffered a concussion during rookie camp, remains under concussion protocol.
- The Bruins signed forwards Teddy Purcell and defenseman Chris Breen to PTOs and they will participate in camp. Defenseman Ben Marshall was scheduled to sign a PTO but he will not participate in camp, according to Sweeney. Defenseman Taylor Doherty will replace Marshall, who remains at home but is scheduled to take part in Providence’s camp next week.
