Zdeno Chara’s legendary NHL career has come full circle.
The 44-year-old defenseman signed a one-year contract with the Islanders on Saturday, the team announced. The deal marks Chara’s return to the organization that drafted him 56th-overall in 1996 and was his home for his first four seasons in the NHL. Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is presumably an over-35 deal with bonuses. It is also the fourth straight one-year contract Chara has signed.
“Who would know that this would kind of work out the way it did after 20-some years?” Chara said Saturday. “But I’m certainly very honored and humbled to be [with the Islanders] again. Obviously, the organization went through some transitions over the course of 20 years, but I think that we all see the progress and the positivity that the team is at.
“Discussions with the family has been going on for probably the whole summer. That was very important to me that my family would feel comfortable and ready for me to play another year and being away from them but at the same time not too far.”
There were other teams interested in him, Chara admitted, but the Islanders’ strong leadership and core drew the veteran defenseman back.
Chara played 231 games for the Islanders from 1997-2001 before former general manager Mike Milbury infamously packaged him, winger Bill Muckalt and a first-round pick (which became center Jason Spezza) in a blockbuster deal with the Senators for center Alexei Yashin.
The current Islanders were in need of another left-handed defenseman after general manager Lou Lamoriello traded Nick Leddy to the Red Wings this offseason, opening a gaping hole in the team’s top four. Considering Leddy averaged more than 20 minutes a night over his seven seasons on Long Island, it’s certainly going to be a difficult role to fill.
With Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock locked in as the team’s top duo, as well as head coach Barry Trotz’s affinity for the Andy Greene-Noah Dobson pair, It’s looking as if Chara will slot in on Scott Mayfield’s left as either the second or third defensive pairing.
Chara, who has been the oldest active NHL player since July 2019, will turn 45 in March. The 6-foot-9 Slovakian, however, was able to compete in 55 of 56 games last season with the Capitals. While he’s quite a few years removed from his career-high 52-point season in 2011-12 with the Bruins, Chara is a seasoned defenseman who has proven he can still be effective in the lineup each night.
Last season, as an unrestricted free agent, Chara signed a one-year deal with Washington after an iconic 14-year tenure in Boston. He contributed two goals and eight assists to go along with 44 penalty minutes while averaging 18:19 of ice time for the Capitals.
Chara captained the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011, 2013 and 2019. Boston won it all in 2011 with help from his two goals and seven assists in 24 playoff games. He has played a total of 1,608 games with the Islanders, Senators, Bruins and Capitals since his rookie 1997-98 season — the 13th most games played in NHL history.
The 2008-09 Norris Trophy winner, Chara has been a finalist for the league’s top defenseman award six times. He has 207 career goals and 259 assists heading into his 24th NHL season.
“I love the game,” Chara said. “I have passion for the game and believe that I can still play.”
Signing Chara seemingly fortifies the Islanders’ defense as they look to take the next step after exiting in the Stanley Cup semifinals in the last two seasons.
Lamoriello has added even more experience and depth this offseason, signing Zach Parise and now Chara, in addition to bringing back Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders will also benefit greatly from the return of captain Anders Lee, who missed a majority of the 2020-21 season with an ACL injury.