NHL teams
Greg Wyshynski, ESPN 6y

Zdeno Chara staying with Bruins through 2018-19

NHL, Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, the towering 41-year-old defenseman having a resurgent season, has decided to return for 2018-19.

General manager Don Sweeney announced on Wednesday that Chara has agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with performance-based incentives that could add $1.75 million to his salary. Chara is in the final year of a seven-year $45.5 million contract.

Chara is in his 20th season in the NHL and 12th season with the Bruins. He has seven goals and 16 assists in 68 games this season for a plus-26 rating. The 6-foot-9 defenseman is skating 23 minutes per game, tops on the team. He ranks seventh in franchise history in games played (888) and third in points by a defenseman (452) behind Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1,506) and Bobby Orr (888).

Chara is the second-oldest active player in the NHL, behind Matt Cullen of the Wild, and has been a valuable mentor to young Bruins defensemen like Brandon Carlo and rookie Charlie McAvoy, with whom Chara has skated most of this season.

"He's an unbelievable hockey player and a future Hall of Famer," McAvoy told ESPN earlier this season. "Every night, he plays to his capabilities, to his level. When I play with a guy like that, it makes my life so much easier."

Chara is a six-time All-Star and won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 2008-09. He helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2010-11.

The Bruins are 47-17-11 and in second place in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

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