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Zdeno Chara Placed On IR, May Still Play Bruins Season Opener

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins may need to start the 2015-16 season without their captain.

The team placed Zdeno Chara on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to September 24 when the 38-year-old defenseman suffered an upper-body injury, according to CSNNE Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty.

Because Chara's placement on IR is already retroactive for two weeks, he will be eligible to return to the Bruins lineup at any time. Chara has not yet been ruled out for Thursday night's season opener against the Winnipeg Jets at the TD Garden.

Chara hasn't practiced with the team since suffering the injury, according to Haggerty. While he hasn't been ruled out for any games, Chara's mere presence on IR is not a good sign for his availability. The move appears to be precautionary, in case Chara isn't ready to go Thursday and frees up a roster spot.

If Chara can't play Thursday night, Torey Krug becomes the team's No.1 defenseman by default. The young Bruins defense behind Chara and Dennis Seidenberg, who is out for the next several weeks after back surgery, was going to be tested even with Chara in the lineup.

Without the captain, the Black & Gold face a big challenge with a largely inexperienced group on the blue line. And the fact that Chara is already dealing with an injury is a bad omen for the 38-year-old's ability to stay at 100% for a full season at this point in his career.

UPDATE (11:02 AM): Chara is practicing with the team Tuesday at the Garden, which bodes well for his ability to suit up Thursday night.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

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