Charlie McAvoy will return to the Boston Bruins lineup Thursday night against the Calgary Flames, head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed on Thursday.
The 24-year-old blueliner missed the Bruins' first 13 games of the season due to offseason surgery on his shoulder. However, McAvoy still returns far ahead of his initial prognosis that had him returning as late as mid-December.
Montgomery teased McAvoy’s return Wednesday during a media conference, but was reluctant to speak with any certainty, simply stating that he expected him to be back “within a week.”
The Bruins head coach also added that McAvoy would be paired to start with Matt Grzelcyk, but is likely to be moved throughout the game. Hampus Lindholm, who spent significant time beside McAvoy last season, will play alongside his regular partner this season, Connor Clifton.
While McAvoy’s return will be welcomed with open arms, the Bruins have fared exceptionally well in his absence. The club has started its season 11-2-0, placing it firmly atop the Atlantic Division standings and second league-wide.
Last season, McAvoy was dynamic for the Bruins, breaking out for a career-high 56 points in 78 games. He also led all Bruins defenseman in average time on ice at 24:38, en route to a fourth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.