Boston Bruins aim to reduce Charlie McAvoy’s penalty-killing workload

The Boston Bruins intend to reduce the penalty-killing workload for top defenseman Charlie McAvoy to preserve his energy for other aspects of his game. Last season, McAvoy averaged 2:48 of shorthanded ice time per game, logging a career-high 193:38 total minutes on the penalty kill.

Despite the heavy defensive load, McAvoy achieved career highs in points, assists, and power-play production, becoming the first Bruins defenseman since Ray Bourque in 1995-96 to reach the 60-point mark. Marco Sturm noted that while McAvoy performed well, the team felt he was doing “almost too much.”

To facilitate this shift, the Bruins acquired defenseman Will Borgen from the New York Rangers. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney indicated that Borgen’s size, skating, and experience were intended to help spread out the penalty-killing responsibilities and take some of the load off McAvoy.