Chara acknowledged Friday that he played through multiple fractures in his jaw during the Stanley Cup Finals.

EDGE Analysis

It was widely assumed that Chara suffered a broken jaw in Game 4 of the Bruins' series versus the Blues, but predictably official confirmation of his injury didn't arrive until the team's end-of-season media availability Friday. Chara's recovery timeline is five-to-six weeks, meaning he'll be back to full strength well before the Bruins take the ice again. The 42-year-old will be back with Boston next season on a team-friendly, one-year, $2 million deal. At this stage of his career, the B's captain -- who logged five goals and 14 points in 62 games this past season -- isn't much of a fantasy factor, with power-play duty now scarce for the hard-shooting blueliner. Still, Chara's strong shut-down ability is intact and his intangibles are top shelf, starting with his outstanding leadership, fitness and obviously his toughness, given what he just played through.