It isn't that Charlie McAvoy isn't a good leader for the Boston Bruins. While David Pastrnak seems to be the favorite to be the next player to wear the "C" on his jersey, McAvoy surely has some leadership qualities that make him an essential piece in the Bruins' dressing room. He is one of the veteran voices that is carrying on the culture, but that doesn't mean he has to follow directly in the footsteps of the man who mentored him.
Zdeno Chara was the type of player who could elevate his defense partner without even trying. When McAvoy started playing with the Bruins, it was easy to slot him alongside the captain because Chara's low-maintenance style could let McAvoy be free. McAvoy is playing at his best when he is free, and forcing him to play Chara's old role was a bigger hindrance than a positive.
McAvoy was trying to do too much in his mentor role alongside Mason Lohrei. He believed he had to be the league's No. 1 defenseman to compensate for Lohrei's shortcomings, and it was turning him into a shell of his former self. While Marco Sturm had no choice but to sit Lohrei in the press box, the player who most benefited from the move was McAvoy.
Charlie McAvoy finding success with new partner
McAvoy looks like a new player alongside Nikita Zadorov. While fans don't like it when people call Zadorov "Big Z", he ironically suits his new partner well because of his similarities to the former captain. McAvoy was at his best alongside a stay-at-home defenseman like Chara, and he is now replicating with Zadorov.
#NHLBruins Charlie McAvoy on playing alongside Nikita Zadorov:
— Ryan Bosworth (@RyanJBosworth) November 1, 2025
“He’s strong, man. There’s so many times during the game where I’m just, like, ‘wow,’ just a man’s game. He’s able to physically dominate guys, which I think is his superpower.” pic.twitter.com/07UZHhsJu1
McAvoy and Zadorov's metrics are replicating what people are seeing in their play on the ice. The stat that best exemplifies it comes from Conor Ryan, via X, formerly known as Twitter.
"A top D pairing of Charlie McAvoy and Nikita Zadorov has only been on the ice for one goal against over 72:34 of 5-on-5 reps together."
It has been a while since the Bruins had a dominant first pairing. While it leaves many questions about where Sturm would slot Lohrei back into the lineup, considering a pairing of him and Henri Jokiharju doesn't sound the most appealing, the Bruins have to put those worries on the back burner until they stop having success. With four wins in their last five games, Sturm is just fine with keeping Jonathan Aspirot in the lineup.