As the Bruins prepare to battle their division rival Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at Amalie Arena in an important playoff matchup, there may be more significant news off the ice – Charlie McAvoy has been spotted with a cast on his right wrist that goes up to his thumb. If McAvoy has been injured, he has played through whatever has been ailing him, and the team has kept it under wraps until he was outed on social media today.
Maybe this wrist injury is responsible for some of McAvoy’s poor play this season, the 27-year-old Alternate Captain is on pace for 36 points which would be his lowest total since he had 30 points in 51 games in the 2020-2021 season.
The Long Beach, New York native has been dubbed the next-in-line following Hall of Fame caliber defensemen on the back end in Boston from Bobby Orr to Ray Bourque to Zdeno Chara and now to McAvoy (Cam Neely compared McAvoy to Bourque at one point in an interview). The comparisons have been unfair and have added extra pressure to a player who already had high expectations coming into the Bruins from Boston University. McAvoy signed an eight-year 76 million dollar extension on October 15, 2021, which has added another level of pressure to perform.
McAvoy, along with the rest of his teammates, have underperformed this season but still are in playoff position as the Mom’s Trip begins in Tampa tonight. If McAvoy is injured and playing through something to help a depleted defense corps without Hampus Lindholm, that is something to be admired, but as the saying goes if you’re in the lineup and healthy enough to play there are no excuses. He, and the team, need to be much better. Hopefully, that starts tonight.
