The Bruins knew they were going to be challenged right out of the starting gate while going the first six games of the regular season without No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy, particularly after the abbreviated training camp this season.
It wasn’t perfect by any means, but a 4-2-0 record through those first six games while missing a big back-end presence like McAvoy was notable, with young guys like Frederic Brunet and Mason Lohrei chipping in to fill the void. Lohrei had goals in back-to-back games and finished with four points in those six games while averaging 19:47 of ice time.
“I feel like I’m at my best when I’m playing with confidence and it’s something that I’m trying to do…and I’m feeling pretty good,” said Lohrei. “I can’t wait to have [McAvoy] back. What an addition it’s going to be six games into the season.
“He’s coming in fresh and I know he’s ready to go, so really looking forward to watching some special stuff from him. I think we’ve been pretty solid. Everybody has been on the same page and it’s only going to be positive to add him. Everybody has stepped up and carried their weight so far here.”
Will Borgen leads the Bruins with a plus-6 rating over those first six games, and even Hampus Lindholm stabilized his game with a goal and four points along with a plus-4 in 19:58 of ice time per game.
The Nikita Zadorov-Connor Clifton pairing hasn’t been a big offensive line, but they have done a good job of shutting down opponents and playing the heavy physical role required of them.
The big question now is how all of that will change on the back end as they insert McAvoy into the lineup and switch things up with the pairings. It feels like the Bruins may put McAvoy and Brunet together initially to see what that kind of pairing looks like, but it remains to be seen whether that leads to somebody like Lohrei coming out of the lineup.
With Jonathan Aspirot already in the press box for the last three games since Brunet got his first look of the season, things are about to get very interesting in terms of playing time and players sitting.
“It was a tough schedule, tough teams and without Charlie McAvoy. So it was not easy to come out like this 4-2 and we are very happy. But it does not mean that we can relax now that we have Charlie McAvoy back,” said Marco Sturm. “I think Brunet was the surprise, I would say. He had a good camp, but we didn’t know how effective he would be. But he took charge and I’m really happy about that. It means a lot being on the first power play unit. Not everybody can do that.
“The other guys, you learn something because they added minutes and added different situations. Even if most of the guys were around last season, you learn something about them. It’s good for them to be taken out of their comfort zone a little. Overall, they did a good job [without McAvoy] and now we need to figure out how we move forward.”
None of this even mentions the Bruins' interest in restricted free agent Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who the B’s are reportedly ready to make a run at if/when the Detroit front office gives up on trying to sign him as his contract holdout continues. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Swedish D-man is coming off nine goals and 25 points in 72 games for the Red Wings last season and is looking for big money after just two NHL seasons.
Boston is among a long list of teams that has shown interest in Simon Edvinsson. Believe there’s at least 10 teams that have inquired. But those teams are being told by interim GM Shawn Horcoff that his preference remains trying to re-sign the RFA. The longer this goes on, obviously a trade becomes possible. But Detroit still wants to sign him. Horcoff has full authority from ownership to get an extension done with Edvinsson, who has been offered, long-, mid- and short-term deals. There remains a sizeable gap on salary.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 8, 2026
Edvinsson picked the right time to be an