Charlie McAvoy has appeared in just 119 NHL games over the past two seasons for the Boston Bruins, stricken by a shoulder injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off and then by a puck to the face against the Montreal Canadiens last season. The hope is that McAvoy avoids any issues this upcoming season, as the Bruins' defense corps does lack a certain presence when he is missing.
Criticism has followed McAvoy in the past for his desire to do too much, which often gets him into trouble. The good news is that it looks like he may have a better pairing this season, which should free him up to play a little more comfortably instead of having to carry Jonathan Aspirot every night. When McAvoy is at his best, he plays his simple game, and he plays it well.
Many would consider McAvoy as one of the league's marquee defensemen, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has been a Norris Trophy candidate in his career. From 2019 to 2022, the Bruins' top defenseman was a mainstay in Norris Trophy voting, finishing 10th, 5th, and then 4th to get his highest finish ever. Since that season, his highest finish was 13th, which came last season after the injury-riddled campaign.
If McAvoy has a healthy season, he will likely earn a finish higher than 13th, but seeing him sneak into the finalist category seems a little more unlikely. Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Zach Werenski don't seem to be relinquishing their place in the voting anytime soon, and surging defenders like Rasmus Dahlin and Matthew Schaefer also get a bit more shine than McAvoy.
Why Charlie McAvoy won't get as much Norris Trophy love
McAvoy is able to do it all for the Bruins, and he is an acceptable quarterback for the first powerplay. However, he doesn't have that game-breaking offensive factor like some of the previously mentioned defensemen. The Norris Trophy, for better or worse, has become an offensive defenseman award, and McAvoy is just never going to reach that level.
The right-shot defenseman could have a great year on the powerplay with the addition of JJ Peterka, but his 61 points in 69 games pace from last season isn't guranteed to be the norm for him going forward. His career-best season before that was 56 points in 78 games, which is likely closer to where his offensive game settles.
If McAvoy pops off for 75 points in a fully healthy 82-game season this year and the Bruins' defense greatly approves, can he get into the top-five of Norris Trophy voting? There is certainly no reason why he can't. It just isn't as likely, given his history and the award's voting patterns.
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