The hockey season has come to an end, and Bostonians –– players, coaches, ownership, and fans alike –– exit the Stanley Cup Final with a sour taste in their mouths.
To make matters worse for the Bruins, they have a handful of key pieces hitting the free agent market this summer: Noel Acciari, Marcus Johansson, and Brandon Carlo to name a few.
However, perhaps the biggest name that could be seeing himself in a new uniform next season is third-year defenseman out of Boston University: Charlie McAvoy.
In two regular seasons with the Bruins, McAvoy has stood out as one of the best young two-way d-men in the NHL –– racking up 14 goals and 60 assists through his first 117 regular season games. While 74 points in 117 games isn’t amazing when compared to the likes of Brent Burns, a 0.63 PPG average for a young defenseman is certainly something Bruins fans should be excited for in the future.
That is if McAvoy decides he wants to remain in Black and Gold for the foreseeable future.
While McAvoy has been in Boston, whether with the Bruins or his BU Terriers, for four seasons, he did grow up a die-hard Rangers fan. People on Twitter will often point to something McAvoy said regarding his hatred for the Bruins growing up as to why he won’t stay here long term.
And it shouldn’t be too far from the memory of Bruins fans when John Tavares opted to sign with his hometown Maple Leafs instead of the Bruins just last summer.
So naturally, one would speculate if McAvoy would want to jump ship and join a team like the Rangers when he hits free agency on July 1.
Well, the 21-year-old made it evidently clear in his exit media session on Friday afternoon that his heart remains in Boston, and he doesn’t see himself playing for another organization.
“I wanna be here forever,” McAvoy told reporters.
The next big question remains: How much will it take to keep McAvoy in Boston? The Bruins only have approximately $14 million in cap space this summer, and still have to retain Brandon Carlo, likely Noel Acciari, and possibly Marcus Johansson. Someone of McAvoy’s ability could garner a decent percentage of that pool of money.
While it seems McAvoy loves it here enough to take a “hometown discount,” let’s not forget he’s just 21 and is coming off a season in which he only earned $916,667. He may look to break the bank, which could create problems for this Bruins team.
However, let’s all just relax and take a deep breath knowing that no. 73 is here to stay for the long run.
