BOSTON — The Bruins will open the 2015-16 season without their top defenseman.
Zdeno Chara has been ruled out for Thursday’s regular-season opener against the Winnipeg Jets as he continues to recover from an upper body injury, head coach Claude Julien announced Thursday morning.
Chara suffered the injury during the first period of Boston’s third preseason game. He has not played since but has participated in each of the team’s last three practices, including Thursday’s morning skate.
Based on that skate, here are the projected defensive pairings for Thursday’s game:
Torey Krug — Adam McQuaid
Joe Morrow — Kevan Miller
Matt Irwin — Zach Trotman
Colin Miller, who skated with Chara at morning skate, is expected to be a healthy scratch, as are forwards Max Talbot and Tyler Randell.