Three teams linked to Chara in trade talks, including Bruins and Leafs

It's been a season to forget for Zdeno Chara and the New York Islanders.

Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Islanders were forecasted to be a Stanley Cup contender but the team has absolutely fallen on its face this season. Add in the fact that Chara signed with the team this past offseason solely because they were expected to compete for the Cup and it's tough not to feel for the 44 year old blueliner.

With the NHL's trade deadline less than a month away now though, there's talk out there that Chara may end up on a contender after all. IN his latest column for NYI Hockey Now, Isles insider Stefen Rosner links Chara to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.

In particular, Rosner reports that the Islanders are waiting to trade Chara until after Thursday evening's game against the Los Angeles Kings in which he will become the NHL's all time leader in games played by a defenseman, surpassing Hall of Famer Chris Chelios.

More from Rosner:

A league source told NYI Hockey Now that following Zdeno Chara’s record-breaking night on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, the New York Islanders will explore the NHL trade market to move Chara to a Stanley Cup contender.

But the source indicated the Islanders and GM Lou Lamoriello are waiting for Chara to break the record before moving him.

Could Chara end up back in Boston? What about with the Pittsburgh Penguins? Would Toronto take a flyer?

- Stefen Rosner

It would certainly be a strange sight to see Chara suiting up for either the Penguins or Leafs, but both teams make sense from a number of perspectives. First off, both the Leafs and the Penguins are in need of a veteran presence on the back end and... well... Chara is cheap. He's on league minimum contract that pays him just $750,000 and he provides so much bang for the buck.

As for the Bruins... well it's a no-brainer. He's one of the franchise's all-time best players and was the team's captain for nearly a decade and a half. Even if he's not the player he used to be, he'll still be a leader in the Bruins' locker room just as he was before moving on in 2020.