Zdeno Chara: 2020-21 season review

Fee fi fo fum, Zdeno Chara is far from done.

By the Numbers

Visualization by HockeyViz

About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows lots of information for the player over the season. A short description of each chart:

• Most common teammates during 5-on-5
• Ice time per game, split up by game state
• 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
• 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
• Individual scoring events by the player
• 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts

Fan Happiness Survey

About this visualization: At three times during the season (end of January, end of March, and end of May), RMNB shared an open survey with fans, asking the following question for each player:

On a scale from 1 to 5, how HAPPY are you to have this player on the team?

1 means VERY UNHAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM
2 means UNHAPPY
3 means NEITHER HAPPY NOR UNHAPPY
4 means HAPPY
5 means VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM

The numbers above show the average score for the player in each survey period.

Peter’s Take

I scoured the internet for any negative takes I might have had about Zdeno Chara before he came to Washington. There were none. He was impossible to dislike.

And after a shortened season in Washington, with Chara somewhere near the end of his career, he is still impossible to dislike. I echo JP’s take here:

I’d run through a brick wall for Big Z.

— Japers’ Rink (@JapersRink) April 28, 2021

The first few weeks of Chara’s time in Washington were a bit spotty, but he hit a groove about ten games in, and he stayed solid through the end of the regular season. He played a ton of time with Nick Jensen in which they controlled quality but not volume (51.4 percent of expected goals, 48.6 percent of shot attempts). If that pair looked bad, it’s probably due to the Caps having uncharacteristic trouble finishing (6.5 percent shooting) when they were on the ice.

I think that’s a solid outing: tons of minutes eaten, a lot of them tough ones starting in the defensive zone. Mix in a couple big goals and big hits and big hugs, and that’s a world-class player.

Chara is 44 years old. If he’s done, it’ll be because he wants to be done. The guy has still got it, and I’m so happy to have had him in Caps red for a while.

Big Zee on RMNB

• Chara is Washington’s Masterton nominee for his perseverance against low ceilings and old age.
• Just before the new year, we learned that the Caps would sign Chara to a one-year deal. There were performance bonuses built in.
• On choosing to play another season: “I still have lots of gas left in the tank.“
• On signing Chara, shorter (literally) Caps: thank god we don’t have to play against him anymore 
• Signing Chara effectively displaced Jonas Siegenthaler.
• This hug picture will warm my heart for all time.

• This one too:

• Kuznetsov practiced with Chara’s stick once.
• On the celebration after his first goal as a Cap: “I just wanted to share that joy and excitement with them since they’ve done a really amazing job welcoming me and making that transition as easy and simple as possible for me. So I owe it to them and can’t thank them enough to accept me in the group and welcome me like they did.”
• On February 1, the Caps played Chara’s old team, the Bruins. Chara scored the opening goal. When the Caps went to Boston, the Bs did a nice tribute for the big guy.
• This season Chara passed Nicklas Lidstrom in games played. He later passed the 1600-game milestone. He got both Cobra Kai headbands that game.
• Chara got to reunite with his family in March after spending the early season apart from them.
• Chara vs Martin, round 1
• Chara vs Martin, round 2 —  less “gentlemanly” this time. Chara became the oldest player in NHL history to get a fighting major.
• He had a monster shift against the Flyers in April: three blocked shots and saving a goal.

Your Turn

Is there more gas in the tank? Could he be convinced to sign another one-year deal with the Caps, and would you want him to?

Read more: Japers Rink