By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
After a very disappointing 2024-2025 Boston Bruins season, Charlie McAvoy came into this year hoping for a more fruitful journey. Dealing with a frustrating and painful campaign that limited the number one Bruins defenseman to 50 games and 23 points, Charlie McAvoy put together one of his best regular seasons. But unfortunately, he was unable to sustain that level of play during the postseason.
In Marco Sturm’s first season as the Bruins’ head coach, McAvoy bettered his productivity and overall play. In 69 games, he set career highs with 11 goals and 50 assists. McAvoy put together a 60-plus point campaign for the first time in his career.
A massive reason for this dramatic improvement was his productivity on Boston’s power play. While quarterbacking the first unit, McAvoy corralled 23 points on the man advantage. That total was also a career high, as he had not posted more than 20 power play points since the 2022 season.
What is very impressive is that McAvoy was able to put up these numbers while dealing with multiple injuries. On more than one occasion this past season, he lost teeth during a game. Despite the punishment his jaw endured, McAvoy did not let the injuries negatively affect his game.
Another standout from this season was McAvoy’s contribution to the United States Men’s Olympic team. He skated a lot of the tournament on the top defensive pairing alongside Quinn Hughes.
McAvoy’s presence and performance played a key role in the U.S. winning Gold for the first time since the iconic Miracle on Ice squad shocked the world in 1980. He was rock solid in the tournament.
However, despite earning a gold medal and setting multiple career highs, McAvoy could not maintain that level of play for Boston’s postseason run. During the Bruins’ first round playoff matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, he really struggled.
With Boston losing the series four games to two, McAvoy was unable to perform at the level he had during the regular season. In the six games, he recorded only two assists and finished minus-6 for the series.
To make matters worse, McAvoy will miss the first six games of the 2027 season due to suspension. The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety issued this ruling after McAvoy slashed Sabres forward Zach Benson near the end of game six.
McAvoy started off the campaign with such promise. He was fully healthy after being sidelined for much of the prior season. The defenseman showed terrific playmaking attributes while logging massive minutes against the opponents’ top offensive players.
But in the postseason, McAvoy slipped back into bad habits that have plagued him at times in his career. He was unable to handle Buffalo’s aggressive forecheck and turned the puck over in dangerous areas too often.
Going forward, the Bruins have to be pleased with the offensive production McAvoy showed during the regular season. But to be considered a truly elite number one defenseman in the NHL, he will need to be more effective in the playoffs for Boston.
Clearly, McAvoy has all the tools needed to reach that level in the league, as he has shown that capability in the past. But over the next few prime years, he must raise his game in these playoff series for the Bruins to go further in the postseason.
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