Over his time with the Boston Bruins, defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been a staple on the backend, and he has become one of the top blueliners in the NHL. Right now, he is the top defenseman for the Black and Gold, and they sorely missed him over the second half of the 2024-25 season.
During the 4 Nations Faceoff back in February, McAvoy was injured, and it ended up costing him the rest of his season. Playing for Team USA, the former Boston University defenseman was injured, and it appeared that Boston wasn't happy with the way his injury was handled by the Team USA medical staff.
Regardless, losing him for the rest of the season all but sealed the Bruins' playoff fate for good, and it began a spiral that ended with them finishing tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia Flyers. It turned into an forgetable season for McAvoy. He is expected back to full strength when training camp begins next month, but his tough season led to him falling in one offseason ranking.
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy falls in recent NHL Network position ranking
On Wednesday night, the NHL Network released its Top 20 defenseman, and McAvoy fell from No. 7 last year to No. 11 this year. That should come as a surprise, as injuries hampered him last season.
Another year leading the backend for the Boston Bruins, another year on the Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list!
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 13, 2025
Charlie McAvoy comes in at 1⃣1⃣!@NHLBruins | #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/7dzJkQKQIO
Dropping four spots is not surprising, and honestly, it would not have been surprising to see him fall a little further. Bruins fans know how important he is to the team, and along with David Pastrnak, he'll be assuming the leadership duties for the Black and Gold after Brad Marchand was traded in March to the Florida Panthers and re-signed to remain in South Florida for the rest of his career.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar topped the list, but if McAvoy is going to move back up the list this time next season, he'll need to have a big bounce-back season in 2025-26, something that should happen if he remains healthy.