Boston Bruins: Zdeno Chara will be back next season

The Boston Bruins made sure that Zdeno Chara would be returning next season.

The captain will be returning to Boston next season. The Boston Bruins have signed Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract extension. The deal is worth $5 million with $1.75 million in performance-based incentives.

At the start of the season I had my doubts about Chara. He’s a 41-year-old who struggled at times last season. This season has been a complete 180.

In his 20th season Chara has improved greatly. He is a much better defender who is able to keep up with players. At times last season, it seemed like he was in quicksand.

More from Boston Bruins

• Boston Bruins fans better be ready for a bridge year
• Boston Bruins Rumors: Why letting Tyler Bertuzzi walk is a big mistake
• Boston Bruins Rumors: Milan Lucic back returns to the Black & Gold express
• Boston Bruins Draft class 2023: Grades & thoughts on draft selections
• Boston Bruins win 3 big awards at NHL Awards Gala: Thoughts & reactions

Also Chara is still able to put the puck in the net. This season he has 7 goals and 16 assists. His rating of 26 is tied for 9th best in the league. He is also the team leader in TOI averaging 23 minutes a game. Somehow Chara has turned back the clock.

The ZC33 Method

It doesn’t have the same ring as the TB12 method, but Chara has been working hard off the ice to improve his ability on it. He is now on a plant-based diet which seems to be helping.

"“I can tell I’m feeling better,” Chara said. “I know for a fact I’m playing with a lot more energy and I’m recovering faster.”“I thought it was going to be very hard for me as a hockey player to get into something like this,” Chara said. “But then, over the course of time, you start reading more and gathering more information — more books, more stuff you can search on different websites. You watch documentaries. Then it slowly starts making sense that this is not just strictly for people to lose weight.”"

A Bruins legend

Chara has played 12 seasons with the Boston Bruins. That’s a whole career for some players. He has led the Bruins to eight playoff births as well as a Stanley Cup.

Chara has already climbed up the Bruins leaderboards. He is 7th in games played (888), and 3rd in points by a defenseman. Chara is also the longest-tenured captain in the NHL as he has donned the C for 12 years.

Chara will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He changed the game because he was the first of his kind. He is the tallest player to ever lace them up and has a cannon of a slapshot.

Next: The Bruins are a point shy of first place

It seemed like his career was winding down, but old man Chara still has some gas left in the tank