Chara not limiting himself to Bruins in free agency; may not play at all

Should Zdeno Chara decide to return to the NHL in the 2020-21 season, there's no guarantee it will be for the Boston Bruins, the team he's played for since 2006. Chara's agent confirmed to TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun that's he's "looking at all options" before making any kind of decision.

"I asked his agent, Matt Keator, on Thursday for an update and specifically asked, ‘Hey, I'm hearing that it may not necessarily be Boston as a slam dunk if he decides to play another season,'" LeBrun said. "And Keator's answer was ‘looking at all options.' Now, I have to say that the Bruins are probably the frontrunner, but other teams keep calling. The key thing that Keator says is that Zdeno Chara is in no hurry."

Chara is also taking into account what the format might look like for the NHL's return amid the COVID-19 pandemic before deciding whether to play at all next season.

"He wants to take his time. And one thing he mentioned is the format for next season is of particular interest to Chara. He's got a young family, there's a lot of factors to consider — whether he's jumping back in for another season, depending on how next year looks like. Bottom line is — right now, Big Zee is in a holding pattern," LeBrun said.

The 43-year-old has spent the last 14 campaigns in Boston, winning a Stanley Cup as the team's captain in 2011. The 6-foot-9 blueliner registered 14 points in 68 games last season while averaging 21:01 per contest.

Source: Insider Trading

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