When Charlie McAvoy took a puck to the face on Nov. 15 off a deflected shot while killing a penalty, it didn't look good. He underwent surgery and was placed on injured reserve. It has been three-plus weeks since the injury occurred against the Montreal Canadiens.
Last week, McAvoy began ramping up his skate and working on getting weight back on after he reportedly lost 20 pounds since the injury on a limited diet. Head coach Marco Sturm didn't have a time frame for the return of his top defenseman, but after Monday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena, it appears that his return to the lineup could be sooner rather than later.
Bruins get promising Charlie McAvoy injury update
After shedding the red non-contact jersey at practice, Sturm said after practice that he will travel on the Black and Gold's upcoming three-game road trip beginning on Tuesday night against former coach Jim Montgomery and the St. Louis Blues. It is not known when he'll play on the trip, if at all, and still needs to be cleared by the medical team, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, who said he wasn't ruled out against the Blues.
Since McAvoy went out, the Bruins' defense has been hit with injuries, with Michael Callahan also being injured. Jonathan Aspirot and Victor Söderström are planning regular roles in the lineup. Getting McAvoy back at any point on the trip would be massive for the Bruins.
McAvoy was wearing a shield at practice on Monday and will likely be wearing one going forward. This is a big upcoming road trip for Boston with other stops against the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild before returning home for a lengthy homestand before the Christmas Break. All eyes will be on the Bruins' morning skate in St. Louis on Tuesday to see if their top defenseman returns in the second matchup in five days between the Bruins and Blues.