Where does McAvoy rank among the best defensive defenseman?
The first few years of Charlie McAvoy's career were great after he was selected 14th overall in 2016.
However, last season (2021-22) was when the Bruins, and the rest of the NHL for that matter, saw McAvoy blossom into one of the league's top-tier defenders.
The majority of the game is played at even strength, and that's where your best players need to be your best players. That was exactly the case for McAvoy, just about every 5-on-5 defensive metric was off the charts.
AR Hockey Stats released their top ten of the best defensive defensemen from the 2021-22 NHL season. They even had the Bruins defenseman ranked in the top ten.
Check it out below:
The Bruins are off to a tremendous 5-1-0 start, but the defensive game has been shaky at times, as they're currently without McAvoy (and Brandon Carlo).
Getting those two back, plus Brad Marchand, and this team could really surprise some people this season!
NHL players in this story
Brad Marchand
Brandon Carlo
Charlie McAvoy
