Some Boston Bruins fans have a love-hate relationship with Charlie McAvoy. The right-shot defenseman is the team's unquestioned top option, but on some nights leaves a little to be desired, much to the chagrin of many. While plenty of fans stay behind McAvoy, he will be seen as largely underappreciated once his Bruins career does end.
The big question is: when that time comes, whether it's in four years when his contract expires or farther down the road, will McAvoy sit in some unprecedented territory in the long history of Bruins defensemen? The organization has a long list of legendary blueliners who have worn the black and gold, but McAvoy is already fifth in scoring after passing Torey Krug this past season.
The next defenseman he needs to hunt down is Brad Park, as he sits 56 points behind the Hall of Famer. McAvoy recorded 61 points in 69 games in an injury-riddled 2025-26 season, meaning the six-game suspension he has to serve to start the year might not necessarily stop him from passing Park.
After Park comes former captain Zdeno Chara, who will almost certainly pass before the end of this contract, as he'd only need to average approximately 30 points per season to get to third on the Bruins' all-time list. It would put him in rarefied air at the top of the ranks, sandwiched between Chara and Bobby Orr, with only Ray Bourque in front of them.
It'll take another 527 points to catch Orr, and even if McAvoy signs one more long-term extension at the end of these four years, the offense will likely slow down, making it extremely tough for him to record that many points over the rest of his career. He might not catch Orr, but that's not exactly a reason for him to hang his head, regardless of how many games the greatest defenseman of all time played before having to retire.
It might not be all about offense, and the league is different now than it was years ago when defensemen weren't expected to generate from the backend, but seeing McAvoy's name up there with the all-time greats in Bruins history already just proves that he might be a little underappreciated. With yearly Norris votes and an ever-building legacy, it might be time for everyone, including myself, to start giving McAvoy a bit more credit for what he has done.
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