By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on X @cookejournalism
Charlie McAvoy made a quantitative observation following the conclusion of Boston Bruins captain’s practice Tuesday. Of all of the projected defensemen expected to crack Jim Montgomery’s lineup card this season, he is the smallest. At 6’1″, 209 pounds, it’s unfamiliar territory for the veteran Bruins blueliner.
It is also a rather uncharted territory for the Bruins organization. Don Sweeney has gone out with the smaller and quicker defenseman of Matt Grzelcyk and Torey Krug, and in with a bigger, more robust player like Nikita Zadorov and Mason Lohrei. Assuming McAvoy joins Hampus Lindholm (6’4″), Zadorov (6’5″), Brandon Carlo (6’5″), Lohrei (6’5″), and Andrew Peeke (6’3)” as Boston’s top-six defenders, the eighth-year Bruin is considerably the most undersized of the grouping—a fact that simply would not have stood in years past.
“I’m the smallest [defenseman] on the team now…It’s good to have size,” McAvoy said. “I think you’re seeing a little bit of the makeup of a lot of the good teams in this league. The size helps, and obviously the skating ability [is important]. You got to be big, but you got to be able to move, and I think we have that.”
Now this isn’t to say McAvoy is too small, because he’s not. It’s to introduce that a new era of Bruins hockey is on the horizon, one that applies heavy importance to size and snarl on the backend. Headlining that initiative is newcomer Zadorov, who inked a six-year, $30 million contract with the B’s in July. Zadorov, 29, has been rumored to be a potential pairing for McAvoy.
“A lot of fun,” McAvoy said of that possibility. “I really enjoyed watching him from afar and the player that he is and the career that he’s had. I’m thrilled at the opportunity to have him here. He makes our d-core really whole. We got a little bit of everything.”
At 6’5″ and 220 pounds, Zadorov packs every inch of his mammoth frame into each stride he takes, making him a force to be reckoned with for the opposition. He’s also proven an ability to produce, too, having a career-high 4-18-22 showing in 2021-22. Last season with the Vancouver Canucks, he posted 5-9-14.
“He’s big, he’s mean, he’s angry, and he has skill,” said McAvoy. “He has all the things that I think you need. You got to know when he’s out on the ice, and I think that’s someone you really want to have on your team.”
Like Zadorov, Lohrei is also 6’5″. But the high-flying Lohrei has brought an offensive moxie to the table that is uncanny for a player of his size. It’s taken the Bruins by storm, and McAvoy knows that flare is just as important as Zadorov’s physicality. Lohrei recorded 13 points in 41 games with the Bruins last season before adding four more in 11 playoff matchups.
“We all saw him take steps as the year went,” McAvoy said of Lohrei. “You get some of that playoff experience, which is so valuable moving forward, especially for what we’re trying to build and what he’s trying to build. He’s awesome and I think his potential is through the roof with how big he is and really with all the attributes that he has.”
McAvoy has enjoyed taking on the role of acclimating new faces such as Lohrei and Zadorov to the Bruins locker room.
“It’s a fun responsibility to get to have to welcome these guys to the team and to be the one reaching out and trying to make them feel comfortable,” he said. “Trying to set some stuff up here before the year goes and trying to build the culture to grow our team chemistry. It’s fun, and I’m enjoying being tasked with that.”
And despite being the smallest player on Boston’s backend, he’s still primed to make a sizeable impact. He potted 47 points last season in 74 games, showcasing his potent ability to handle pucks and be a facilitator on Boston’s top power-play unit. And he’s never afraid to lay a thundering hit.
McAvoy, 26, spent his summer training at Boston University, where he enjoyed a two-year career while amassing 8-43-51 from 2015-17.
“It’s nice for me and close to home and in my heart to go over there and hang out and work out,” he said. “We had a great pro group over there and we really pushed each other.”
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