Zdeno Chara will not play in next month's IIHF World Championships, as he is reportedly recovering from an ankle fracture, csnne.com reports.

Chara will not play for Slovakia in next month's IIHF World Championships, as he is reportedly recovering from an ankle fracture, CSN New England reports.

Analysis:

The report suggests that Chara suffered the injury toward the end of the regular season, but the big blueliner was able to tough it out during the stretch run in the Bruins' unsuccessful bid to make the playoffs. With an offseason ahead of him, Chara now has ample time to heal up from his ankle injury, as well as a knee issue that previously hobbled him. The 38-year-old has already indicated that he expects to return to form in 2015-16, and given his dedication to fitness and training, we don't doubt that he'll put himself in the best possible position for a bounce-back season.