Confirmed Signing with Link: [NYI] Zdeno Chara signs with the New York Islanders (1 year, $750k + $750k bonuses)

[PromisedLand]

Even at 44 Chara is going to fit Isles/Trotz's system like a glove

Congrats Isles fans. Your already tough team to play against got even tougher!

 

[Smash255]

Uh no. Tampa was better. Remember the 8-0 drubbing?

And I like the Islanders but if someone is going to think this somehow tilts anything toward the NYI they haven't watched chara play.

Now he has to play 82 games?

Watch him run out of steam long before the playoffs.

I don't think anyone is suggesting Chara is going to be playing 82 games. Even if healthy all year, it is unlikely Chara is going to be playing much past 60 games

 

[mm11]

Isles are contenders just like many other teams. Pretty good roster old man Lou put together.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

I also disagree they've gotten better this offseason. Unless I'm missing something the most notable moves was Parise and Chara in and Leddy and Eberle out. Parise is such an unknown, maybe his health can hold up and he can be a legit 20 goal 2nd line winger or maybe his back is hanging on by a thread and he is going to provide bare minimum 4th line production and most likely be a scratch oh most nights... but I'd say that's probably a slight downgrade all things considered.


The biggest thing the Islanders have coming into this season is a potential big breakout for both Wahlstrom and Dobson but young players development is near impossible to predict. But Wahlstrom is as good as bet as any young winger to get 30 goals.

The thing you’re missing is the lateral moves from where the team was in the playoffs plus Anders Lee returning.

 

[PromisedLand]

So now we gotta wait what two weeks for Lou to announce it?

He is already on Isles twitter

 

[The Wahligator]

Hedman played on a torn meniscus. Tampa will be healthier too.

Not quite ready to give it up to NYI yet. And their division isn't exactly a cake walk either.

Tampa also lost their entire third line, which was definitely their best against NYI.

 

[Chardo]

So you’re telling me Parise and the other senior citizens were also holding out for any other offer? Thanks for reminding me that Chara wasn’t the only one that waited as long as he could.

Again, a bunch of 60 year olds signing with NYI at the end of the summer after other teams have finished their FA shopping does not mean that NYI is an attractive FA destination.

I mean if you want to believe that Chara rejected offers from Tampa, Boston etc then by all means continue to live in your fantasy land.

No, I'm telling you they agreed to new contracts weeks or months ago that were not announced until recently. They were not holding out for other offers. This was definitely the case with Parise, Cizikas, and Palmeiri, and could also have been the case with Chara.

 

[Isles72]

I get it if its timeshare / load management system with Greene/Chara for 3rd pair but theres still a big hole left in the puck movement dept due to Leddy's departure .

 

[T REX]

Tampa also lost their entire third line, which was definitely their best against NYI.

Ross Colton will slot in nicely for Gourde. He's our next big bottom six star.

Adding Perry? Methinks this won't bne as bad as originally thought.

Colton was/is a huge surprise.

 

[mm11]

Ross Colton will slot in nicely for Gourde. He's our next big bottom six star.

Adding Perry? Methinks this won't bne as bad as originally thought.

Colton was/is a huge surprise.

no doubt Perry is a nice addition. Cant beat em join em I guess

 

[traparatus]

As a Caps' fan, I was excited when Chara came on board last year. Pretty cool to see one of the legends suit up for your team.

On the ice, Chara was perfectly serviceable through early/middle part of the season. I thought that his play noticeably declined as the season went along. IMO, he was a liability in the playoffs.

My preference was that Caps do not bring him back. It's not even so much about his play as it is about the fact that you cannot make him a healthy scratch. If Chara wants to play in every game of the season, he will play, even if it's to the detriment of the team. I think that's why Boston chose not to keep him around.

 

[JT Kreider]

The thing you’re missing is the lateral moves from where the team was in the playoffs plus Anders Lee returning.

I think it's fair to see Lee coming off a major injury is also a bit of a question mark, though I think if anything he would just get off a to a slow start.

 

[ScaredStreit]

Barzal wasn't alive when Chara debuted as an Islander.

 

[Toronto makebeleifs]

Back to where it all began...

 

[BBKers]

Back to the future remake? Young Chara meets Ryan Reaves at MSG in 2022. Oooppps

 

[Chardo]

Barzal wasn't alive when Chara debuted as an Islander.

He was actually a few months old, but point taken.

 

[north49er]

Barzal wasn't alive when Chara debuted as an Islander.

Let's all hope he likes playing with his grandfather.....

 

[Ctrain2k]

Raise your hand if you thought back in 1996 that this guy would still be playing in 2022

I wasn’t even born yet haha.

 

[Osprey]

Raise your hand if you thought back in 1996 that this guy would still be playing in 2022

You just made me realize that Chara is the one player still left who was in the NHL when I started following it (97-98). I had sort of assumed that there hadn't been anyone left in years, probably since Jagr returned to Europe. Hopefully, Zdeno keeps playing for my sake.

 

[NYR94]

Good thing to know Chara reads my posts

He should go back to where it all started and play for the Islanders. Would that be a record for longest amount of time between two stints with a team?

 

[PB37]

As a Caps' fan, I was excited when Chara came on board last year. Pretty cool to see one of the legends suit up for your team.

On the ice, Chara was perfectly serviceable through early/middle part of the season. I thought that his play noticeably declined as the season went along. IMO, he was a liability in the playoffs.

My preference was that Caps do not bring him back. It's not even so much about his play as it is about the fact that you cannot make him a healthy scratch. If Chara wants to play in every game of the season, he will play, even if it's to the detriment of the team. I think that's why Boston chose not to keep him around.

Good post and that's exactly what happened in his last year as a Bruin.

 

[Wanderson]

If we’re going all-out, I want Oleg Kvasha back. I don’t care how old he is now

Kenny Jönsson might be available as well

 

[CupHolders]

Raise your hand if you thought back in 1996 that this guy would still be playing in 2022

Back in the early days of HFBoards, I do remember getting scoffed at, when I suggested he could develop into a player as good as Derian Hatcher. But... I also thought Tim Connolly could be as good as Steve Yzerman.

Win some... lose some

 

[Islanders4Cups]

I also disagree they've gotten better this offseason. Unless I'm missing something the most notable moves was Parise and Chara in and Leddy and Eberle out.

If you are comparing to the beginning of last season, they also added Palmieri. If you are talking about since the playoffs then they added Lee. So yes, you are missing something.

 

[yzerman]

Going to be incredible nostalgic to see him in a islanders jersey