When we talk about the best defensemen in the NHL or the nominees for the Norris Trophy, it's Cale Makar, Roman Josi, Victor Hedman or Adam Fox.
Nowadays, defenders are overjudged on their offensive abilities rather than their real job: defending.
And for that matter, Charlie McAvoy is the best in the league. According to datadrivenhockey on Instagram, the Bruins' blue lining leads the NHL in a specific category, expected goals percentage (xGF%).
xGF% is a statistic where we use shot quality to determine which team is expected to score more goals when a certain player is on the ice by looking at the difference between expected goals for (xGF) and goals expected against (xGA). ).
The NHL Network recently published an amazing article on the Bruins defenseman:
