Some Boston Bruins fans would argue that the defense corps they watched during the 2025-26 season was anything other than deep, and Jeremy Swayman would likely share the same sentiment as he withstood a constant barrage of shots most nights. However, the Bruins' defense as a whole is a collection of good-to-great players, and they could be much improved this season with a year of experience in Marco Sturm's system under their belts.
NHL 27 released its ratings for the game, which becomes available in early September, and Charlie McAvoy was the top-rated Bruins defenseman, sitting in a tie for third amongst right-shot defensemen with an 89 overall. McAvoy wasn't the only player on the Bruins getting recognition in the early release of ratings, as the left-shot trio of Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, and Mason Lohrei all came in at 85 overall.
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95 OVR for Makar, Werenski and Hughes.
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While fans are still on the fence about how good the defense will be this season, the NHL 27 development team at least thinks that the left side of their defense will be a balanced group. For any gamers amongst the fanbase, they'll be able to mix-and-match the left side of their defense without too much worry when it comes to overalls. However, the most avid fans might still try to fit Frederic Brunet into the picture, hoping the organization will attempt to do the same in real life.
Where Charlie McAvoy stands amongst the rest of the league
It's McAvoy's ranking amongst NHL 27's defense as a whole that might raise some eyebrows. While some rate McAvoy higher than others, his ranking here is 14th amongst all defensemen, as there are 10 left-shot defenders rated 90 overall or above. Some are understandable at the top like Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, and Rasmus Dahlin, but others don't make as much sense to rank below McAvoy.
Lane Hutson's 78 points was better than McAvoy last season, but when it comes to the defensive side of the puck, it's hard to rank Hutson higher than his American counterpart. However, the NHL series ranks the Montreal Canadiens defenseman a 90 overall, one point higher than McAvoy.
The same goes for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, who EA Sports gives a 90 overall rating for this year's game. While fans shouldn't get too caught up in video game ratings anyway, it could easily be the fact that the series overvalues offense when giving these scores.
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