Zdeno Chara gutted out several injuries during the Stanley Cup Final, but his recovery from those injuries may put his status for the Boston Bruins' 2019-20 season opener in jeopardy.
The Bruins defenseman was asked Friday if he'd be ready for his team's Oct. 3 season opener against the Dallas Stars -- and didn't give an inspiring answer.
"I think I should be, but it’s a process of making sure there are no setbacks or any discomfort," Chara said, via The Boston Globe's Matt Porter.
Chara has been participating in Bruins captains practices at Warrior Ice Arena this week and no longer has the full cage he wore during the Stanley Cup Final after fracturing his jaw in Game 4.
But the 42-year-old has other ailments -- general manager Don Sweeney revealed in August that Chara had a "small elbow procedure" this summer -- that may not be fully healed in a month's time.
It's worth wondering how much Chara has left in the tank entering his 22nd NHL season, but he's still an integral member of a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, so Boston will be leaning on him to be available October.
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