McAvoy has finished top-10 in Norris Trophy voting in each of the past two years and will continue piloting Boston’s top defensive pairing and top power-play unit in 2021-22.
McAvoy’s 122 points in 235 games since debuting in 2017 ranks 34th overall among all defencemen but sixth among defencemen aged 25 or younger. If the Bruins struggle as Makar, Hughes, Hamilton and others pile up significantly better point totals than McAvoy, the Long Beach, N.Y., native could bear the brunt of criticism from a loyal fan base.
Werenski is the only contemporary whose 2022-23 cap hit his currently higher than McAvoy’s, however it’s Werenski’s former D partner who ends up being the most direct comparison.