Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been out of the NHL lineup for over a month and is still recovering from a rash of injuries sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Since his placement on Injured Reserve, the Bruins have blown up their core and waved the white flag on the season.
It appears the Bruins will be without their number one defender for a bit longer. The team's head coach, Joe Sacco, shared the latest injury updates on McAvoy, and it was less than ideal.
According to The Fourth Period correspondent Shawn Hutcheon, the Bruins don't expect McAvoy back soon. Sacco stated that the defenseman is still considered week-to-week.
The news is discouraging for McAvoy and the Bruins. With 15 games left in their regular season, the possibility of McAvoy missing the rest of the season grows stronger.
While in the lineup, McAvoy's struggled. The 27-year-old stood out at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but playing on a depleted and defeated Bruins team, McAvoy's production dropped. In 50 NHL games, he posted seven goals, 16 assists, and 23 points. It's a drop off from the usual 40 to 50-point defender McAvoy's established a reputation for producing. In 504 games, he has 60 goals, 240 assists, and 300 points.
There's no doubting that the Bruins would benefit from having him back, however. He's their leader in ice time, averaging 23:40 minutes per game this season, and their best overall defender.
He's also one of their core leaders. With captain Brad Marchand among the group traded away at the deadline, McAvoy is one of two remaining players to wear a letter on their jersey for Boston. Along with star forward David Pastrnak, McAvoy is the other half of the new leadership tandem for the Bruins.
It's unclear if the team will have their number one defender back for the 2024-2025 season. With him being evaluated weekly, he could make a return, but if the Bruins fall further out of the playoff race, don't expect to see him again this year.
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