Nearly a decade ago, Zdeno Chara was paired with a young Charlie McAvoy at the start of his first training camp with the Boston Bruins. Now it’s a 28-year-old McAvoy playing the veteran mentor role and being paired with 23-year-old rookie Frederic Brunet in the opening days of Bruins training camp while showing the young kid the ropes.
The B’s are clearly hoping that pairing the veteran leader with the young blueline upstart will pave the way for a strong preseason performance from a young player Boston wants to compete for, and ultimately claim, an NHL roster spot this fall.
“He’s a great kid. He’s got a really good skill set and he can skate,” said McAvoy of Brunet, who posted 12 goals and 36 points in 65 games for the P-Bruins last season. “He can make a lot of plays, so I think he’s a really exciting prospect, and I’m just trying my best to help him out.
“I remember all that [skating with Chara]. The communication and all the anxiety when you come in and you feel like you’re living and dying with every [practice] rep. I’m at a different point in my career now and you know what you’re looking to get out of camp, and to sort of set that tone. I’m trying my best to help him, but he’s a really good kid and I’m excited to help him in any way. That’s what we need now is those young guys fighting and pushing for spots and bringing that depth to our organization.”
Interestingly enough, McAvoy compared Brunet favorably to former B’s defenseman Matt Grzelcyk as an NHL comparison, though the 6-foot-2 Brunet is physically a lot bigger than McAvoy’s former longtime defense partner. McAvoy had some of his best seasons in Boston paired with Brunet, and perhaps being put together with another player of that puck-moving, fast-skating type could bring out the best in him again.
“I guess a lefty with some skill…maybe he’s a little like [Grzelcyk]. He’s taller than him, but he can move really well. From what I’ve seen he is good with the puck, can make plays and find the middle, and I think he thinks the game at a really high level,” said McAvoy. “I had a lot of good chemistry and good years with [Grzelcyk], so if he could be someone like that, I think we could play really well together.”
On another note, McAvoy was asked at training camp this week about the Bruins captaincy, with Boston ready to announce a new captain prior to opening night later this month, and took the right approach as