After a horrible start to 2014-15, the Boston Bruins have managed to play their way back into the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture. The team has accomplished this without the services of its number one defenseman, Zdeno Chara, who has been out of the lineup with an injury since October 23rd. From the time he joined the team in 2006-07 until now, the Bruins had never had to deal with an extended Chara absence. All things considered, the team’s play during the last three weeks has been remarkable. As good as Chara is, he evidently isn’t quite as vital to Boston’s success as was previously thought. At 37, the rangy defenseman has only a few years left in the league at most and has already seen his play decline slightly. There has never been a more appropriate time to flip Chara away in a trade.

Despite his age, the return in a deal involving Chara would almost definitely be very valuable. Elite first-pairing defensemen are hard to come by, and teams would be willing to pay a premium even for just a few years of service. Boston isn’t quite the same dominant Stanley Cup contender of years past and would be better off if it kept an eye on the future. A Chara trade could very easily speed up a roster retool and have Boston right back as a Cup favorite as soon as next season.

Sean Sarcu is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.