Follow me on Twitter: @BenShelley_20 Follow HockeyBuzz Islanders on Twitter: @HB_Islanders The New York Islanders announced yesterday that they’ve signed defenseman Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract. Chara was originally drafted by the Islanders in 1996 and played with the team for four seasons upon entering the league. He then most notably went on to captain the Boston Bruins for well over a decade, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2011. Last season, Chara played with the Washington Capitals.
Chara and Greene would bring somewhat similar skillsets to the table at this point, as veterans who will be reliable in their own end but won't produce much offense and should likely used in a defensive role. Based on who's available though, we can be confident that one of them would take a spot on the second pairing.
With the addition of Chara, it seems as though it’s less likely that Erik Gustafsson gets a roster spot. Gustafsson could still be used as a spare but it seems as though a permanent role in the lineup is highly unlikely. The Islanders are likely done making adjustments to their blue line for now but it’ll be interesting to see how things play out. There’s no doubt Chara can still play, it’ll just be a matter of how large of a role he can take on with the team. ***We've launched a HockeyBuzz Islanders Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Islanders for updates on articles, Islanders news, etc.*** Quiz Maker OTHER ARTICLES FROM SEPTEMBER Islanders re-sign Beauvillier, Cizikas, Palmieri and Sorokin Zach Parise confirms deal with Islanders Analyzing Anthony Beauvillier’s new contract Analyzing Casey Cizikas’ new contract Analyzing Kyle Palmieri’s new contract Analyzing Ilya Sorokin’s new contract Islanders confirm Zach Parise signing, are expected to sign Paul LaDue Islanders sign Erik Gustafsson to PTO Islanders reportedly sign five players Islanders sign Zdeno Chara