This past offseason, the New York Islanders were forced to make many changes to their team. First off, the team lost first-line winger Jordan Eberle to the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft. Defenseman Nick Leddy was shipped to Detroit in exchange for Richard Panik and a 2021 second-round pick. The team also signed veteran winger and former New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise. However, the acquisition that shook fans around the NHL was 44-year-old defenseman and former Islander Zdeno Chara coming back to his old team.

Although there was initial hype about the six-foot-nine defenseman joining the Islanders, his early play has made some fans question the move. Despite these concerns, there are reasons why Chara is here to stay on the Islanders – at least for now.

For 14 seasons, Chara was the blood, sweat and tears of the Boston Bruins. Chara’s leadership, size and strength helped mold the Bruins as the big bad team that dominated the Eastern Conference for many years. Chara led the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Final appearances and a Stanley Cup victory in 2011. Chara put up very good numbers in Boston, recording over 40 points in seven of his 14 seasons and recording three seasons with over 50 points.

The 44-year-old is currently the oldest active player in the NHL. As the NHL has become more reliant on speed and agility, Chara’s style of play has been pushed towards the door. Chara is undoubtedly a Hall of Famer and is regarded as a legendary defenseman in the NHL. However, as he only is getting older and older and the NHL keeps getting faster and faster, his ability to be a threat on the ice is only becoming increasingly difficult.

The NHL keeps on getting younger and faster. Size used to be a deciding factor in the NHL, as small players were seen to be at a disadvantage and fell in drafts regardless of their skill. Now, size is no longer seen as a disadvantage. An individual’s success in the NHL comes down to speed and skill.

Over the years, Chara’s plus-minus has begun to decline, sinking to a plus of 5 last season with the Washington Capitals from his highs of the 30s with the Bruins. The NHL has not passed Chara yet, but his days of being a regular in the NHL are certainly winding down.

Despite Chara’s old age, lumbering frame and decreasing plus-minus, Chara remains a defenseman on the Islanders. The question is: why?

The answer is complex, but in simple terms, Chara is currently the best option for the Islanders.

The Islanders are at a unique moment. They are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season and return to the final four for the third consecutive season, while making the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1984.

Chara knows all about leading a team to the Final – something the Isles are going all in to do. The Isles desperately need Chara’s leadership for rough patches destined to occur throughout the regular season. Chara’s presence on the roster is to steer the ship for when rough waters do occur. In an 82-game season, there will undoubtedly be rough patches, and Chara is there to help the Islanders get through those.

Additionally, the market for defensemen is not great right now. This summer, the Islanders did not have the cap space to overpay a lucrative defenseman while keeping their free agents and adding depth pieces to their roster.

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Lou Lamoriello is watching the same team all fans are watching, and he has way more experience than every fan out there. He knows Chara has weaknesses on the backend but sees his strengths as necessary to the Islanders right now.

Right now, he is a weakness. Still, with only seven games played this season, Lamoriello must feel Chara is the best option for the team. And you can argue he is.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.