Not so fast - earlier report of potential Zdeno Chara destination 'not an option'

Well, not so fast. 

A report from The Athletic indicated that former Boston Bruins captain and current unrestricted free-agent defenseman Zdeno Chara was drawing interest from the St. Louis Blues: 

“For the second straight summer, they’ve expressed interest in Zdeno Chara, according to a league source,” Blues reporter Jeremy Rutherford wrote for The Athletic. “Chara could provide a veteran to partner with Parayko, not to mention that the 6-foot-9, 250-pound defenseman could give the Blues the presence in front of their own net they’ve been desperately lacking.”

However, it doesn't look like Chara will be passing through the Gateway Arch in St. Louis any time soon. According to Bally Sports Midwest reporter Andy Strickland, if Chara plays in this upcoming season, he'll be looking to stay within the familiar confines of the Eastern Conference: 

"Told the #stlblues are not an option for future Hall of Fame Dman Zdeno Chara. His focus, if he plays, will be to stay in the East to remain close to his family."