Chara lands on IR, but move might not leave Bruins hurting
At first glance, every Bruins fan's nightmare came true Monday when defenseman Zdeno Chara joined fellow blue-liner Dennis Seidenberg on the injured reserve list. Since Seidenberg and Chara are the two best defensemen on the thin Boston blue line, it would be an inauspicious start to the season to have both of them on IR.
But according to CSN New England reporter Joe Haggerty, Chara was placed on IR retroactive to Sept. 24, meaning he is now eligible to come off IR at any time and could be ready for the season opener Thursday if he is healthy.
The move leaves the Bruins with an open roster spot for now, giving them more time to finalize their roster ahead of Thursday's opener while also making it possible for the Bruins to have a back-up plan in place if Chara is not ready to go Thursday night.
Chara has not participated in full practice with the team since suffering an upper-body injury in a preseason game against the New York Rangers on Sept. 24, but he has been spotted multiple times skating at the Bruins' practice facility. Bruins coach Claude Julien told reporters Sunday that Chara is very close to being able to practice with the team.
(h/t CSN New England)
