Zdeno Chara is no longer a Boston Bruin, leaving behind a 6-foot-9 void on the blue line. Just as important, his departure is a big one in the dressing room, too.
The Bruins, however, have a good leadership structure still in place, so it's not a huge surprise that general manager Don Sweeney announced Thursday morning the B's will have a captain for the upcoming 2021 season, the first in which someone other than Chara will wear the C" since 2006.
"We expect to have a captain," Sweeney said on a conference call with reporters Thursday. "We're going to allow this some time to breathe for Zdeno and his decision. We'll make a decision moving forward."
Sweeney stopped short of naming the new captain, but anyone who knows anything about the Bruins can assume the clear-cut choice to assume the role is longtime center Patrice Bergeron.
"I think it's an obvious decision and one that we'll make in a respectful manner at an appropriate time, but I think it's important to allow this moment -- as raw as it is -- to let it play out for the time being as we get on the doorstep of opening camp," Sweeney said.
Had it not been for Chara's presence, Bergeron likely would have been named captain a long time ago. The 35-year-old is the longest-tenured Bruin, and his time with Boston preceded Chara even by two seasons.
