Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy will still be a number one defenseman

Charlie McAvoy may have had a few struggles for the Boston Bruins this season, but given his youth, it’s all part of the learning curve.

We must never lose site of the fact that Charlie McAvoy is just 22 years old and playing significant minutes as a member of the Boston Bruins’ top-four. He’s only been properly playing in the NHL for 3 seasons and is still developing his game.

It’s easy to look at his lack of goal-scoring until finally breaking the duck with the overtime game-winning goal against the Blackhawks the other night. All players have scoring slumps though; it’s just his seemed worse because of the high expectations placed upon him.

There is zero reason, point-scoring aside, why Charlie McAvoy won’t be the number one defenseman for the Boston Bruins for years to come. You only need compare his statistics, aside from the box score ones, to those of last year’s Norris Trophy winner, Mark Giordano, to see that he’s still been quite the player.

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Take for example, the amount of ice-time each is entrusted with; Giordano, despite playing in more games for the Flames has seen 911:13 in 5-on-5 ice-time, Charlie McAvoy sits at 973:52. Even adjusted to all situations, the gap between the two represents only a little more than the extra three games the Flames have played.

Expected Goals Against when Charlie McAvoy is out there for the Boston Bruins (at 5-on-5) are 32; Giordano’s number is slightly lower at 31.12, but it’s still very much comparable, especially when you consider these guys are munching minutes like nobody’s business, and not easy minutes in the slightest.

Charlie McAvoy is not a Corsi sweetheart when you look at the Boston Bruins, but a Corsi For of 51.52% is slightly above the average and within range of Giordano’s 52.81%.

Looking to any number of statistics, you wouldn’t be able to easily pin-point which player won the Norris Trophy last year and which one is the 22 year-old still working on his game.

Now, granted it is probably a little unfair to use Giordano’s statistics from this season as opposed to his Norris year, but fact is he’s still among the better defensemen in the league and firmly a number one defenseman on at least half the teams in this league.

Perhaps most telling of all is the fact that even Giordano has a down year; his points total is just 12 so far, compared to McAvoy’s 17 at 5-on-5. Given these points are the hardest to gain, you’d have to imagine McAvoy would be adding a good few more if he was seeing power-play time as well.

Of course, overall Giordano’s 27 points is more than McAvoy’s 20, but the fact is that the Boston Bruins defenseman is playing harder minutes in terms of tallying goals and assists. The Flames’ defenseman’s 10 power-play points to his 1 sum that up.

Whatever way you look at it, Charlie McAvoy is still going to be the number one defenseman in the Boston Bruins’ long-term future. Yes, he’s not perfect and makes mistakes, but what defenseman is completely spotless?

A little more time with Zdeno Chara and maybe a bit more special team action and McAvoy will be as well-rounded as any of the top-name defensemen in this league; maybe not the biggest goalscoring threat, but a guy that can balance defense and safely joining the rush at the very least.

Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.