McAvoy set to cash in
Franchise D-man in good position heading into season
Charlie McAvoy is on course to become the highest paid Bruin ever. That’s a simple fact of life after arguably lesser blueliners like Zach Werenski ($9.583 million AAV), Seth Jones ($9.5 million) and Darnell Nurse ($9.25 million) signed lucrative long-term deals.
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Even coach Bruce Cassidy joked on Friday that he needed to be careful in doling out praise for his 23year-old defenseman lest he draw the ire of GM Don Sweeney, who’ll have the unenviable task of negotiating the next mega-deal for McAvoy.
And if all goes well, it appears that the Boston University product will be in even better bargaining position than he is right now. In the first session of Saturday’s training camp practices, McAvoy picked up where he left off, quarterbacking the highly productive first power-play unit that should help him pile on the points.
Cassidy said that he’ll play it by situation and be somewhat careful as to how he balances out McAvoy’s time on the PP and the penalty kill, especially with a good option in Matt Grzelcyk available to run the top man-advantage. But McAvoy showed last year he belongs there.
“Ideally, we’d like to get him more reps at that,” said Cassidy. “I think it’s good for his mindset, too. He wants to be out there with that group. They all do. Don’t get me wrong. But he’s a guy that should be running it. I respect that and we’ll give him every opportunity. He earned it last year. “
McAvoy is coming off his best season in terms of point production last year with 5-25-30 totals in 51 games. He was even better in the playoffs with 1-11-12 totals in 11 games while getting time with the top PP unit that includes Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.
“I had a lot of fun playing with those guys last year,” said McAvoy. “They’re obviously world-class players. I enjoyed that. So long as I’m back there, I want to be reliable and make the plays that I’m suppose to make, get those guys the puck and in position so that they can show their skill and make their plays and complement them well. That’s what I’m looking to do and build confidence more and more as we do it. Last year was easy to play with confidence with them. With the way they move the puck and have such chemistry, you want to be just a complement to them. That’s my goal, to be reliable, make the plays that I’m suppose to make and the special ones that I can.”
McAvoy could also benefit playing with a more classic stay-at-home defenseman in Derek Forbort, if it plays out that way. He’s been paired with Forbort through the first three days of camp.
“I think with every partner that I’ve had, I’ve had trust and faith in those guys. But to your point, he is big. He takes up space. He defends really hard,” said McAvoy. “As far as the grand scheme of the game, turning pucks over and the transition, that’s something we try to do a lot. So if he’s able to make those plays, we can go the other way pretty quick. It’s been fun playing with him. He’s big, he’s got a long stick and we’ve been breaking up plays pretty well. We’re still getting acclimated. We’re talking a lot through it all. It’s been fun.”
As for the riches that await him, McAvoy is focusing on what he can control.
“Just playing hockey. That’s it,” said McAvoy. “You see all those D-men, I’m very happy for them. I know quite a few of them and couldn’t be happier for them. They’re all very well deserved. But for me, I’m just excited about this year, excited about the group that we have. Being back together and seeing everyone is always so awesome. I just want to have a good few days to start and keep building on that momentum.”
DeBrusk turning page
Jake DeBrusk is looking forward to a fresh start after last year’s brutal season in which he managed just 5-914 totals in 41 games.
“Obviously, it wasn’t what I wanted or the team wanted in that respect. I obviously want to improve on it and pretty much forget my whole career, whether it was the 27-goal season (in 201819) or last year,” said DeBrusk. “I’m clean slating it and I think it’s a pivotal point in my career as well.
I’m just trying to do the little things every day.”
DeBrusk is looking forward to living a more normal existence as opposed to the sequestered one the players did last year with the Covid restrictions (he did eventually contract the virus, knocking him out a couple of weeks). He stayed in Boston for most of the summer, eschewing the tighter protocols back home in Edmonton.
He said his goals in the offseason were the usual getting stronger and faster — but also to gain a better mindset.
“Just looking forward to getting right and liking the game again,” said DeBrusk, who has been skating mostly with Erik Haula and Nick Foligno in camp.
DeBrusk is in the final year of his deal that has a salary cap hit of $3.675 million, but his actual salary is $4.85 million. That’s what the qualifying offer would be for the pending RFA next summer. That fact, along with his under-performance last year, have fueled trade speculation on DeBrusk, who has demonstrated in past comments that he’s well aware of what’s being said and written about him.
DeBrusk said he’s not going to let media, social or otherwise, bother him this year.
“Yeah, my name was getting dropped a lot, eh?” he said with a smile. “It’s been like that for four years, but it’s going to take a lot more than Twitter to get to me. Obviously, I like being a Bruin, I was drafted here and love the boys and all that stuff. It’s one of those things where I may have taken it more personally when I was younger. But, yeah, my name was getting dropped a lot. Kind of funny. But I’m here.”
This and that
Things may change when Charlie Coyle gets healthy but Foligno manned the netfront position on the first power-play unit. The second until consisted of Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly out high and Taylor Hall, Jack Studnicka and Craig Smith as the forwards...
Hall took a shot to the face from Smith in the first session but appeared to be OK...
With Pastrnak back with Marchand and Bergeron for the special teams work, Jesper Froden took Foligno’s place on the line with DeBrusk and Haula.