Boston Bruins: Why Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk make a great pair
By jc
Charlie McAvoy can’t find his offense this year. Here’s why this could change if Matt Grzelcyk is his partner.
Everything looked great in the world when the Boston Bruins resigned Charlie McAvoy at the beginning of training camp. Boston locked up its best defenseman for three years at a team-friendly $4.9 million cap hit.
This season, however, has not gone according to plan for McAvoy.
First thing’s first: through the first 16 games, McAvoy continues to be solid defensively. He averages over 21 minutes of ice team, and his CF% is 54%.
That said, McAvoy’s offense is nowhere to be found. He only has four points this season, and they are all assists.
Not only does McAvoy not have any goals; he barely has any chances. McAvoy has 34 shot attempts and 16 shots on goal, an average of one per game.
One reason behind McAvoy’s lack of production is his role on the power play. With Torey Krug in the lineup, McAvoy plays on the second unit. He averages 1:19 on the power play per game, without studs like David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.
In addition, McAvoy played almost exclusively this year on the shutdown defense pair with Zdeno Chara. Chara doesn’t exactly like to push the pace, which limits McAvoy’s output. Plus, because he plays alongside Chara, McAvoy consistently goes against the toughest matchups.
Based on these two factors, is there anything coach Bruce Cassidy do to spark McAvoy’s offense?
McAvoy’s spot on the power play certainly won’t change. The top unit with Krug is simply too good right now, so McAvoy will have to be on the second unit.
However, there is something Cassidy can do five on five; in fact, he did this for the past couple games. Cassidy can play McAvoy with Matt Grzelcyk instead of Chara.
Grzelcyk is obviously a much different player compared to Chara. He’s nowhere close to Chara defensively, and he lacks Chara’s awareness. But, Grzelcyk is a better skater and he tends to be a more capable passer for breakouts.
With Grzelcyk as his partner, McAvoy has greater offensive upside. He’ll have the opportunity to play at a faster pace, and this will lead to quicker transitions and more aggressive breakouts.
Plus, McAvoy won’t always have to retrieve the puck behind the net, something he must do now because of Chara’s lack of speed. If Grzelcyk goes back to get the puck sometimes, McAvoy can stay further up the ice.
Expect Cassidy to continue to give McAvoy and Grzelcyk time together. They’ll get a lot of offensive-zone starts against favorable matchups. With all this, don’t be surprised if McAvoy finds his offense.
McAvoy is Boston’s best two-way defender, and he has the potential to be one of the best in the league. He has the talent to do whatever he wants on the ice, as long as he’s in a position to succeed.