Bruins Activate Charlie McAvoy
Charlie McAvoy is making a quicker return to action than anyone expected. The Bruins announced he’s been activated from injured reserve, putting him in the lineup tonight against the Jets, less than a month after major facial surgery as a result of taking a puck to the face. Boston has been operating with an open roster spot for several days, so no corresponding move is required.
The B’s have been without their top defensemen for the last 11 games. That coincided with a 6-5-0 record, boosted by an active three-game winning streak, showing up in a big way to keep themselves in the Atlantic Division playoff race while he was out. Regaining his two-way versatility is a major boon to a Boston team that’s been one of the worst 5-on-5 possession teams in the league.
McAvoy is without a goal this year but racked up 14 assists in 19 games before needing surgery, and he’s the only Boston defenseman with a positive shot differential (157-156) at 5-on-5. For a forward group that struggles to generate offense from its depth ranks, having his playmaking ability on the back end is crucial as well. Those 14 points still have him tops among Bruins rearguards and fifth on the team in scoring.
His pairing with Nikita Zadorov has been Boston’s best, both in controlling play and on the defensive end. They lead the team with a 56.7 xGF% and 1.78 xGA/60 at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck (min. 100 minutes). That xGA/60 figure is third in the league. Jonathan Aspirot, a 26-year-old rookie, has gotten most of the reps alongside Zadorov in McAvoy’s absence. The 6’0″ lefty has done a good job on his offside with a +8 rating in 18 appearances, although a 47.6% shot share and 43.8% expected goal share at 5-on-5 point toward that figure being inflated due to Jeremy Swayman‘s stellar goaltending.
With Henri Jokiharju and depth options Michael Callahan and Jordan Harris on injured reserve, McAvoy’s return is all the more important for Boston’s banged-up defense corps. Victor Söderström, who has one assist and a +3 rating in three games since being recalled from AHL Providence last week, is expected to be the odd man out while Aspirot stays in.
McAvoy’s conditioning will be something to keep an eye on. He still can’t eat solid food until the six-week mark after the surgery, and he told reporters late last week that he lost nearly 20 pounds in only a week and a half following surgery. They’ve found out a regimen to get some of that weight back, but expecting him to continue shouldering a near-24-minute workload may be a stretch. As a result, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising if the Bruins opted to dress seven defensemen at times in the coming days to limit his minutes.
Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Maple Leafs, Tinordi
Unless something changes, the Boston Bruins will return their two top performers on their upcoming road trip. After an update from Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald, indicating that Charlie McAvoy shed the non-contact jersey for today’s practice, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reported that both McAvoy and David Pastrňák are expected to return over the next few days.
Even getting one of McAvoy or Pastrňák back would be a major boost to the Bruins. After McAvoy exited the lineup on November 15th after gruesomely taking a puck to the face, the team has gone 5-5-0. It’s been a little better without Pastrňák, as they’ve gone 3-2-0 in their last five.
Still, considering that Boston has unexpectedly moved into second place in the Atlantic Division, the team will want to have McAvoy and Pastrňák in the lineup as much as possible to qualify for a postseason spot. The Bruins are only two points removed from being out of a playoff spot, and have played more games than multiple teams in the Eastern Conference. Considering how wide-open the playoff race is this season, Boston has a legitimate opportunity to reach the postseason again, and McAvoy and Pastrňák will surely play a large role in that.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Moving to Toronto, the Maple Leafs may also return a pair of injured players in the next few days. According to David Alter of The Hockey News, defenseman Chris Tanev is no longer skating in a non-contact jersey. Additionally, Alter reported similarly on defenseman Marshall Rifai, who has also shed his non-contact jersey. Tanev has missed much of the 2025-26 campaign due to an upper-body injury, and his absence has played a significant role in the Maple Leafs allowing over 31 shots a game from their opponents.
- Former first-round pick Jarred Tinordi has found his way back to professional hockey for a 14th consecutive season. Earlier today, the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch announced they have signed Tinordi to a contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. Tinordi, 33, spent last season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, scoring one goal and five points in 30 games with a +5 rating.
Atlantic Notes: Samuelsson, McAvoy, Arvidsson, Zacha
Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson exited Friday’s game against New Jersey after going into concussion protocol, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. He was hit with around 12 minutes left in the third and left the ice bleeding; head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t have an update on him after the game. Samuelsson has had a strong bounce-back showing this season, picking up 12 points in 22 games (just two shy of tying his career best from a year ago) while recording 52 blocked shots. Notably, he is logging just under 22 minutes per game, second only to Rasmus Dahlin and was showing that he could consistently handle the top-four role that GM Kevyn Adams had envisioned when he signed the blueliner to a seven-year deal coming off his entry-level contract in 2022.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and winger Viktor Arvidsson skated today as they work their way back from respective face and lower-body injuries, relays Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). McAvoy still has a ways to go before returning but Arvidsson appears to be getting closer to returning but won’t play tonight. McAvoy hasn’t played in two weeks and still sits second on the team in assists while Arvidsson was quietly off to a solid start to his tenure in Boston with six goals and 52 shots in 20 games.
- Still with the Bruins, Conroy adds (Twitter link) that center Pavel Zacha is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against Detroit. He missed yesterday’s contest against the Rangers with an undisclosed injury. Zacha sits third on the team in scoring with 17 points in 25 games and with David Pastrnak out again tonight, getting Zacha back would help boost an offensive group that has been thinned out as of late, even with Casey Mittelstadt’s return.
Injury Notes: Lindholm, McAvoy, Pageau, Dickinson
The Boston Bruins shared updates on two key players ahead of tonight’s game in San Jose: Elias Lindholm has been activated, while Charlie McAvoy was placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury in late October, after a knee-on-knee collision with Jordan Greenway and has been absent since. His first season in Boston left some to be desired considering the $7.75MM cap hit, scoring 47 points, but Lindholm was off to a better start in 2025-26 overall, posting nine points in 13 games. Now, the veteran will be a welcome addition back to the lineup given the club’s current hot streak, as they march forward without McAvoy for the time being.
As was noted yesterday, McAvoy underwent facial surgery after catching a puck to the face in a scary incident against Montreal on November 15th. His placement on IR is no surprise, and all things considered, it is not a terrible outcome in what could have been much worse. Boston will sorely miss their top defenseman, but the hope is that he will be back in time for the Olympics next February, if not sooner, depending on recovery.
Elsewhere across the league:
- After already losing Alexander Romanov long-term, the hits keep coming as the Islanders shared that forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau is week-to-week with an upper body injury. The news comes as a surprise as the veteran center played through yesterday’s game with no visible ailment. Pageau is a highly dependable all-around third line center, and a pending free agent at 33, it had been speculated that he could be a trade candidate at some point. However, given the Islanders impressive start it seems any such talks are off for the time being. Now, as they’ll move forward without a top defenseman and a key center, New York faces a huge test to close out 2025. 20-year-old Calum Ritchie will have an opportunity to step up, and his performance without Pageau may dictate the team’s direction later in the season.
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced Jason Dickinson has been activated off injured reserve. The veteran forward has missed all of November with an apparent upper-body injury. Dickinson had three points in eight games before going down, his Blackhawks tenure proving to be a nice example of a cap dump win. The Ontario native came to Chicago in 2022 along with a second round pick sweetener, and immediately has been a key presence in their lineup. His career high 22 goals in 2023-24 earned an extension at $4.25MM which comes in on the high end considering current production, but Dickinson remains a leader for the group with his reliable two-way game.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Benson, McAvoy
While the Maple Leafs had both Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies available at practice yesterday, it appears they’ll be without both of them for at least one more game. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters including TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link) that both forwards are considered as doubtful for tonight against Montreal. Matthews has missed the last week and a half with a lower-body injury while Knies hasn’t played since last weekend due to a lower-body injury of his own. Both players are key cogs in Toronto’s top-five attack (in terms of goals scored) with Matthews being tied for second on the team in goals while Knies sits third in points but they’ll have to wait another game at least before returning.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- After welcoming back Jason Zucker last night against Chicago, the Sabres should get another key winger back on Sunday versus Carolina. Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic (Twitter link) before last night’s game that winger Zach Benson probably could have suited up in that one but they elected to be cautious and give him a couple of extra days of rest. Benson has missed a little more than three weeks with his lower-body injury but had been a strong playmaker beforehand, picking up eight assists in as many games.
- Earlier this week, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery after taking a redirected puck to the face against Montreal. While there’s no firm timeline for a return, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan recently reported (Twitter link) that the expectation is that he should be cleared to return for the Olympics in February. McAvoy was part of Team USA’s entry for the 4 Nations Face-Off last winter (before being injured midway through the event) and should have a strong chance of making the Olympic roster which will be announced in early January.
Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Undergoes Facial Surgery, Out Indefinitely
As expected, the Boston Bruins will be without their top defenseman for some time. Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune passed along a note from Bruins head coach Marco Sturm, confirming that blue liner Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery.
Cavanagh directly quoted Sturm, saying, “Charlie had a facial surgery. Successfully. So he’s doing good. He’s recovering right now at home, and we still don’t know how long he’s gonna be out for.” There’s no point in speculating on how long McAvoy will be out, though broken jaw surgeries typically have a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks. There’s no confirmation that McAvoy broke his jaw.
McAvoy suffered the injury in Boston’s recent game against the Montreal Canadiens on November 15th. Partway through the second period, Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson accidentally struck McAvoy in the face with a puck off a slapshot. McAvoy has already missed one game for the Bruins, though the team hasn’t placed him on the injured reserve yet.
It’s a difficult pill to swallow for a Bruins team that had gotten off to an unexpectedly good start to the 2025-26 campaign. At the time of writing, Boston has a 12-9-0 record through their first 21 games, sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Much of that has to do with McAvoy’s strong play. The former 14th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft had skated in 19 games for the Bruins before the injury, registering 14 assists while averaging more than one blocked shot and hit per game. He was averaging the most ice time of any Bruin by a margin of nearly two and a half minutes.
Boston has moved rookie Jonathan Aspirot to McAvoy’s spot on the top defensive unit next to Nikita Zadorov for the time being. Depending on how quickly the Bruins learn of McAvoy’s recovery timeline, it’s unlikely they’ll stick with that defensive pairing if they hope to remain competitive.
Additionally, McAvoy’s recovery could have implications for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. An eight-week recovery would put McAvoy’s return around mid-January, a few weeks before the start of the tournament. Again, there’s been no confirmation of that timeline, though it could complicate his involvement. The Long Beach, NY native was one of the first six players named to Team USA’s roster already.
Atlantic Injury Updates: Bruins, Maple Leafs, Sabres
The Boston Bruins have had to deal with their fair share of injuries so far this season, but that hasn’t stopped the club from continuing its longstanding tradition of consistent regular-season success. Through 21 games this season, Boston sits first in the Atlantic Division with a 12-9-0 record, including a 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games. On Saturday in Montreal, though, the Bruins were dealt their most significant injury blow to date this season: Charlie McAvoy took a Noah Dobson one-timer to the face and had to leave the game immediately. Today, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm provided a small update on McAvoy’s status, per Conor Ryan of Boston.com, stating that McAvoy will not travel with the team on its upcoming road trip. In addition, he also said that veteran center Elias Lindholm would travel with the team.
It should not come as any surprise that McAvoy isn’t ready to play just yet, and Sturm did add that an official update on McAvoy’s health will likely be issued either today or tomorrow. In any case, adequately replacing what McAvoy brings to the Bruins will be very difficult. McAvoy averages nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game (good for the team lead) and has 14 points in 19 games. While it won’t help their defense, the fact that Lindholm is nearing a return to the ice should help soften the blow of losing McAvoy. He’s a reliable two-way center whose return should help alleviate some of the pressure the Bruins’ center injuries have placed on veteran Pavel Zacha and rookie Fraser Minten.
Other injury updates from the Atlantic Division:
- Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving confirmed today, per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, that team captain and franchise center Auston Matthews won’t play today or on Thursday due to the injury he suffered Nov. 11 against the Boston Bruins. Matthews did begin skating again today, but still needs some time before he’s ready to return to game action. The 28-year-old has scored 14 points in 17 games this season, and had 33 goals, 78 points in 67 games in 2024-25. In addition to speaking on Matthews, Treliving also said that veteran defenseman Chris Tanev‘s health status will be re-evaluated in a week or two, and head coach Craig Berube confirmed that center Nicolas Roy will miss a few games with an injury of his own. Tanev suffered his injury Nov. 1 while Roy, who has four points in 19 games this season, played in the team’s last game on Saturday.
- Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff announced today that defenseman Michael Kesselring suffered an injury in the team’s game Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, and “an extended period of time” as a result. The nature of the injury is not yet clear, but Ruff said that Kesselring’s absence would be “on the longer side – weeks.” The big 25-year-old right-shot blueliner, who was acquired this past summer from the Utah Mammoth in the J.J. Peterka trade, has played in nine games this season. In better injury news, Ruff also announced that forward Zach Benson will return to skating in a non-contact capacity
Charlie McAvoy, Viktor Arvidsson Hurt In Bruins Win
The Boston Bruins left Montreal with a win on Saturday night, but could pay the price with two veteran injuries. Star defenseman Charlie McAvoy sustained an upper-body injury after being struck in the jaw by a shot from the blue-line. He was helped off the ice by a trainer and did not return tot he contest. Meanwhile, winger Viktor Arvidsson sustained a lower-body injury later in the contest. Arvidsson is expected to miss “some time” while McAvoy will undergo further testing, per head coach Marco Sturm (via WEEI radio).
McAvoy’s importance to the Bruins can’t go understated. He had averaged more than 25 minutes of ice time across his last six games entering Saturday night, and rewarded the heavy usage with six assists. The Bruins set a 5-1-0 record in that span. McAvoy has worked his way up to 14 points, all assists, in 19 games on the year. That mark leads all Bruins defenders in scoring, with Mason Lohrei (10 points) the only other with double-digit scoring. McAvoy also leads the Bruins’ blue-line in shots on goal (25), average ice time (23:46), and ice time on both the power-play and penalty-kill. He would leave massive shoes to be filled. The Bruins would need to lean on a committee approach in his absence, likely looking to Lohrei stepping up as a vital piece of the offense and Nikita Zadorov growing into an even bigger defensive role.
Arvidsson may not carry the same lineup role, but his role will be just as tough to replace. The 33-year-old has scored three points across his last four games, including the game-winning goal on Saturday prior to his injury. He now has 10 points in 20 games this season. Arvidsson also ranks second on the Bruins in shots on goal (52) behind star scorer David Pastrňák. He has provided shrewd depth scoring to a Bruins team that sorely lacked that last season. With his help, the Bruins have leaped from the fifth-fewest goals-for last season, to the second-most so far this season.
Boston is already facing a littany of injuries. Elias Lindholm was placed on injured reserve in early November, and both Casey Mittelstadt and John Beecher are nursing injuries from the press box. That will force the team to call someone up form the AHL to fill Arvidsson’s bottom-six role. Former first-round pick, and 6-foot-6 winger, Riley Tufte co-leads the Providence Bruins in scoring with 16 points, split evenly, in 13 games. He’s tied with 10-year pro Patrick Brown, who has six goals and 10 assists. Both players would be strong options to bring up, though Boston may want to reward top prospect Fabian Lysell, who has 12 points in 12 games while working through a shifting lineup role.
Atlantic Injury Updates: Bruins, Cirelli, Tanev
Several updates on the availability of their players have been reported today, namely Charlie McAvoy, Casey Mittelstadt, and John Beecher. Per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, the Bruins’ top defenseman McAvoy did not travel with the team due to a personal matter, while Mittelstadt did not travel due to an upper-body injury. In addition, team reporter Belle Fraser reported today that Beecher is out with his own upper-body injury.
These injuries have left the Bruins in a somewhat precarious position entering their game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins were already dealing with an injury to top center Elias Lindholm, who was later placed on injured reserve. According to Fraser, veteran Jeffrey Viel will replace Beecher on the Bruins’ fourth line, while Alex Steeves, who was recalled today from AHL Providence, will play on the team’s second line, the one centered by Pavel Zacha. Due to McAvoy’s absence, defenseman Mason Lohrei, a healthy scratch for the last five games, will draw back into the lineup. The Bruins are on a five-game winning streak, but these injuries are likely to test the sustainability of the club’s winning ways.
Other injury notes from the Atlantic Division:
- The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without center Anthony Cirelli for tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals, relays Lightning team reporter Benjamin Pierce. Cirelli is managing an injury, one that caused him to leave Tampa’s last game early. Head coach Jon Cooper did note that the club is hopeful Cirelli will be able to return in time for the Lightning’s game against the New York Rangers on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Cirelli is a key two-way center for the Lightning, scoring seven goals and 11 points in 14 games so far in 2025-26 while also occupying a role on Tampa’s top penalty-kill unit. In part due to Cirelli’s strong defensive abilities, the Lightning have managed to kill penalties at a 89.4% rate so far this year, good for fourth-best in the NHL.
- There was an encouraging development coming out of Toronto today as Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev was spotted skating for the first time since he was stretchered off the ice during the team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 2. (Report via TSN’s Mark Masters) While there have not been any additional specifics on a recovery timeline for Tanev, the mere fact that he’s back on the ice so soon after the injury scare he suffered has to be seen as a positive sign for his readiness to play. Tanev, who has dealt with concussions in the past in his career, is a key defensive defenseman for the Maple Leafs and has averaged 17:20 time-on-ice per game this season, including 2:40 per game on the penalty kill.
Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Good To Go For 2025-26
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy hasn’t played in game action since sustaining a shoulder injury during February’s 4-Nations Face-Off. He specifically injured the AC joint in his right shoulder. The injury then became infected, forcing McAvoy to undergo an irrigation and debridement procedure to remove debris from his shoulder. It would prove a season-ending ailment for McAvoy, but despite procedures and an extended stay away from the ice, the Bruins’ top defenseman has shared he’ll be ready for puck drop next season. He told Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald:
[My summer training plan] was [focused on] ‘how are we going to get better? How are we going to get healthy? How are we going to get to where I know I can be going into this year?’ And then since then, it’s just been all excitement, hitting a lot of marks and accomplishing a lot off the ice and now I’m starting to ramp up more on the ice, so I feel great. And mentally, I’m super-excited about this year.
McAvoy ended the season with seven goals and 23 points in 50 NHL games, and no scoring in two 4-Nations games. The Bruins would go on to miss the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season, before McAvoy had joined the team. He expressed frustration with missing the postseason for the first time in his career, but found the silver-lining of some extra time to condition his injury.
Health specifics aside, it’s hard to imagine McAvoy wouldn’t have tried to push his way into the lineup had the Bruins made the playoffs. He has been the team’s confident #1-defenseman since his second year in the NHL in 2018-19. By then, Bruins legend Zdeno Chara had crossed the hill of age-40, and was working his way out of a nightly top-pair role. McAvoy was there to make up for the lost minutes. He’s averaged north of 22 minutes each night in every single season of his eight-year NHL career, and took over the title of most minutes on the team in 2018-19.
With a clear-cut role on the top pair, McAvoy has found his way to lofty totals on the scoresheet’s scoreboard and penalty box. He scored a career-high 10 goals and 56 points in 78 games of the 2021-22 season, while averaging 24:38 in nightly ice time. It was a true career performance that McAvoy kept up with 52 points in 67 games of 2022-23, then one-upped with 12 goals, 47 points, and 24:51 in average ice time in the 2023-24 season.
His scoring pace dwindled this season – though McAvoy’s final score of the season marked his 300th NHL point. It took him 504 games to get their, making McAvoy the third-fastest Bruins defender to reach the mark, behind record-holder Bobby Orr and Boston legend Ray Bourque.
It will be the momentum of joining two iconic Boston defensemen that pushes McAvoy forward heading into next season. He emphasized his good health, and shared with Conroy that he and winger David Pastrnak will serve as the club’s assistant captains in the new season. 2025-26 will mark the fourth-year in the eight-year contract extension McAvoy signed in 2021. He’s so far recorded 122 points in 191 games on the contract – or an 82-game average of 52 points each season. Improving on that mark will be top priority as McAvoy enters his prime years, and age-27 season.