With a couple of months to go until the Boston Bruins open the 2023-24 season, their roster is taking shape after undergoing many changes over the summer. As part of looking ahead to the coming NHL season, we’ll look at the Bruins’ roster and see what we can expect from them during the upcoming campaign.
Today, we look at Charlie McAvoy’s development since breaking into the NHL and what type of performance we should expect from him as the Bruins’ number-one defenseman.
McAvoy’s Progression Into an Elite Defenseman
After being drafted by the Bruins 14th overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, McAvoy has steadily improved with each season that passes. He first broke into the NHL during the Bruins’ playoff series against the Ottawa Senators in 2017.
While playing his rookie season during the 2017-18 campaign, McAvoy showed his offensive abilities with seven goals and 25 assists for 32 points in 63 games. In the following three seasons, he remained consistent with his production posting 28, 32, and 30 points, respectively.
With six seasons under his belt, McAvoy’s game has taken a step forward as he has grown into a more significant role with the Bruins. One concern is that, at this point in his career, he has been unable to play the full 82-game schedule in any season.
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Last year, after missing the start of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery, he played in 67 games posting a career-high points per game (P/G) average. With seven goals and 45 assists for 52 points, he averaged 0.78 P/G, which put him on pace for 64 points over 82 games.
McAvoy’s Game Brings More Than Offense
While offensive production is one of the most critiqued aspects of the game, McAvoy’s game brings much more than just offence. He is relied upon to be the Bruins’ best all-around blueliner, as he should be with a contract that carries a $9.5 Million annual average value (AAV)
McAvoy’s physicality is a significant factor in his game, although his total number of hits landed last season took a dip. He will be expected to be a physical presence for the Bruins and is also growing into more of a leadership role.
What Bruins Can Expect From McAvoy This Season
While the Bruins have yet to name their next captain following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement, McAvoy’s name has been suggested as one of the possibilities. Playing alongside Zdeno Chara in his first few NHL seasons, he could see how great leaders carry themselves on and off the ice.
An entire offseason of regular training and preparation will be a massive advantage for the 25-year-old. After his shoulder surgery last offseason, although it didn’t appear to be an issue, he was forced to shake off any rust by jumping right into the regular season. He may have been more tentative about throwing his body around when he first returned to action last year, but that won’t be the case this season.
If he can remain healthy for the entirety of the 2023-24 season, McAvoy will be a lock to hit new career highs offensively. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see him become the first Bruins’ blueliner to hit 70 points in a season since Ray Bourque did in 1995-96 (82 points).
With the loss of Bergeron also comes the loss of him playing the bumper position on the power play. This can be an opportunity for McAvoy to use his shot more frequently. Last season, there were plenty of times when he opted to pass on great shooting opportunities. In the future, if he uses his shot as more of a weapon, he could easily surpass his current career high in goals (10).
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Look for McAvoy to continue his ascension into one of the NHL’s top blueliners this season. Barring any major injury setbacks, we could see McAvoy’s name being discussed as a potential Norris Trophy candidate soon.