The good and bad of Charlie McAvoy becoming the Bruins’ next captain

The Boston Bruins will appease the fanbase this season by finally naming a captain. After Brad Marchand departed, the team waited a full season to name a captain, which feels like a delicate choice. Whoever becomes the next player to wear the "C" after the lineage of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand will carry a heavy left shoulder, and the front office didn't take that honor lightly.

The captain of the Bruins carries a heavy load, and both Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak seem worthy of the honor. Whether it was the difficulty in choosing between the two or trying to make sure they didn't rush into such a special honor, the organization has finally made a decision. Let's look at McAvoy's case for the honor.

Why Charlie McAvoy should be the Bruins' captain

Whether this is a good or a bad thing is up for debate, but McAvoy would be following a historic line of defensemen if he were given the captain's "C". Before Zdeno Chara's long run as the team's leader, the last defenseman to do it was Ray Bourque, who had the honor for 15 years. Is McAvoy on par with those players? Not yet, but if he stays with the Bruins long enough and has a bit more success, he certainly could be up there.

Defensemen for some reason always make good captains. Whether it is their steady presence or the fact that they lead from the back end most times on the ice, some of the greatest captains in league history come from the blueline. McAvoy seems like he would be that type of presence for the Bruins.

We've already seen his commitment to the Bruins, as he has come back early from some devastating injuries and fought through a bunch of things to show up for his teammates. McAvoy has also been very vocal in the locker room and always has a soundbite or two in the post-game.

After being a big part of Team USA's Olympic win, the defenseman has already shown that he knows how to win and be a catalyst on a winner. If he brings that experience to the Bruins, he would naturally become the team's leader.

Why Charlie McAvoy shouldn't be the Bruins' captain

Unfortunately for McAvoy, he might be the captain on 50% of the teams in the league, but Pastrnak is also a very good candidate for everything he has accomplished. Whoever gets the honor will be very deserving, while the other will feel like a bit of a snub. The only way to ever appease both would be to do the co-captaincy like Bourque and Rick Middleton in the early 80s, which is almost certainly not going to happen.

McAvoy's greatest flaw is that he gets a bit out of his comfort zone when the team needs a push. When he plays a steadier approach, he is at his best, but he does get a bit excitable at times. My concern with giving him the captaincy would be that the burden of leading the team would weigh a bit too heavily, while Pastrnak would likely keep the same demeanor and attitude as the more carefree of the two.

Maybe you want someone who cares too much as the captain, but if it comes at the detriment of his play, Pastrnak may be the better option.

The Verdict

McAvoy is a deserving captain, and if they went with the co-captain approach, it'd be accepted by the fanbase, as the leadership of this team is a two-headed monster. However, it feels like this honor is Pastrnak's to lose unless everyone is reading it incorrectly.

Ironically, it seems like McAvoy has already relinquished the idea of being captain to Pastrnak. Whether that's just interview talk or how he truly feels, that likely tells you all you need to know about who is likely to be given the honor.

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