The past NHL campaign wasn’t easy for Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins. Well, that is until the captain was traded to the Florida Panthers. However, if anybody knows about facing adversity last season, it’s Charlie McAvoy.
The experienced blueliner in Boston has been through the wringer. McAvoy injured the acromioclavicular (AC) joint of his right shoulder during the NHL’s 4 Nations. However, it didn’t end at that, as the area was infected, needing irrigation and debridement. As a result, he missed out on the rest of the season.
“It was a long summer, but in a lot of ways it was beneficial,” McAvoy told NHL.com. “A chance to have a lot of months, to put in a lot of work, which is nice, something that I haven’t really had since we have always been a playoff team. It was a longer summer, but I used it to my advantage.”
Wipe the slate clean
McAvoy couldn’t join the Bruins on the ice for Marchand’s final outings with the Spoked B on his chest. Moreover, he couldn’t be there for his teammates when the tide turned rougher. Eventually, Boston missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the first time since 2016, the Bruins weren’t invited to the postseason party in the NHL.
Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Florida Panthers during the second period in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on May 12, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
It felt like the sky was falling in Boston. Many talked about the end of an era, especially with Marchand out in South Florida, steamrolling through the rest of the league, and celebrating with the Panthers’ victory plastic rats afterward. In more ways than one, it looked just like Boston’s worst nightmare. Still, McAvoy has found a beacon of hope.
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Aye, Captain, no Captain
Now, under debuting NHL head coach Marco Sturm, the Bruins hope to right their wrongs from years past. Marchand is no longer in Beantown; his stick now serves the mighty reigning champs in Sunrise, Florida. However, McAvoy is set to stand up as the new leader of the Bruins, though he won’t be alone.
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Boston is trending toward deploying a captain-less lineup next season. Instead, alternate captains David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy will guide the team in a dual-headed leadership. After waving Marchand goodbye, the Bruins might think the best way to aid a captain’s departure is by virtually having two.
