Zdeno Chara is reportedly in ‘no rush’ to make free agent decision

Zdeno Chara seems to be OK with playing the waiting game.

Chara became a free agent earlier this month after his contract with the Bruins expired, and according to his agent, he’s fine with staying on the market for a bit.

Chara’s agent, Matt Keator, told The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter that Chara’s in “no rush” to make a decision on where he wants to play next season, citing the uncertainty of the NHL’s next season.

While it’s uncertain as to how many options Chara has on the market, retirement is not one of them. Chara, who is 43, told reporters in September that he’s not contemplating retirement.

“I feel strong physically,” Chara said. “I’m positive and I believe I can still play this game and contribute to the team.”

Chara hasn’t hit free agency since he signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the Bruins in 2006. He’s also signed three contract extensions since then, earning him $52.5 million over the last nine seasons. His latest contract extension came prior to last season and was worth one-year, $2 million.

In September, Chara expressed his desire to stay in Boston.

“I want to stay in Boston,” Chara said. “I want to be a Boston Bruin. I want to continue to lead by example and share my experiences with the younger players. That hasn’t changed. I’m committed. We’ll see what’s going to happen next.”

The Bruins aren’t a “slam dunk” to re-sign Chara but are “probably” the front-runner to sign him, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. Chara’s agent also told LeBrun that he’s “looking at all the options.”

If Chara decides to end his tenure in Boston after 14 seasons, the Bruins would be down their top two left-handed defensemen in terms of minutes played from last season. Torey Krug signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the St. Louis Blues when free agency opened on Oct. 9.

The Bruins did sign prospect Jakub Zboril to a two-year, one-way contract on Wednesday, making him a candidate to replace the open slot left by Krug or Chara if he leaves.