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Charlie McAvoy admitted that the 2024-25 season was one of the most challenging of his professional career — but the Boston Bruins' star defenseman revealed that he is back to full health after missing 32 games with a shoulder injury.
“My summer training plan was [focused on] ‘how are we going to get better? How are we going to get healthy? How are we going to get to where I know I can be going into this year?'” McAvoy told the Boston Herald's Steve Conroy earlier this week.
“And then since then, it’s just been all excitement, hitting a lot of marks and accomplishing a lot off the ice and now I’m starting to ramp up more on the ice, so I feel great. And mentally, I’m super-excited about this year.”
It's fantastic news for Bruins fans, as the long-term absences of McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm were the catalysts as to why the team struggled so mightily last season.
McAvoy represented Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, but picked up a shoulder infection and didn't play at all during the second half of the campaign. That was due to an AC joint injury in his right shoulder. He finished the season with seven goals and 23 points over 50 games.
The Bruins imploded in the second half, and after advancing to the playoffs for eight straight campaigns, the franchise ended up finishing 33-39-10 and dead last in the Eastern Conference.
Things looked bleak near the trade deadline, and that led to the front office waving the white flag. Heart and soul captain Brad Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he won a second career Stanley Cup. As well, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau all got a change of scenery in early March.
Bruins won't name a captain for 2025-26 season
McAvoy confirmed to Conroy that the team will not name a captain for next year, with he and David Pastrnak tasked with sharing leadership duties for 2025-26.
“We’ve talked a lot about the group, ideas of how we can make this group come together as quickly as possible,” he said. “That’s been the biggest thing right now from a leadership perspective, some of the tendencies he has as far as meetings and messaging and stuff like that. That’s been the biggest thing. We’re really focusing on how we can make this team a cohesive group right from the get-go. There’s been a lot of turnover over the last two years.”
The Bruins look unrecognizable from the team that won 65 games in 82 tries back in 2022-23, and it's going to take a herculean effort to get this club back to the top of the Eastern Conference.
The front office did make some additions this summer, bringing in forwards Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Mikey Eyssimont. They also hired Marco Sturm as the next head coach after Jim Montgomery and Joe Sacco both spent time behind the bench last year.
The franchise also has a top prospect in the pipeline for the first time in years after selecting Boston College standout James Hagens with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
This is certainly not the roster it once was, but if the stars align, the Bruins should at least be competing for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division in 2025-26.
