The Boston Bruins saw Charlie McAvoy put together the best offensive season of his NHL career in 2025-26.
It still wasn’t enough to land him inside NHL Network’s top 10 defensemen entering next season.
NHL Network ranked McAvoy No. 11 on its annual list of the league’s top 20 defensemen, which NHL.com published on Aug. 9.
The 28-year-old finished immediately behind Edmonton’s Bouchard at No. 10, Detroit’s Seider at No. 9 and Ottawa’s Sanderson at No. 8.
McAvoy’s placement stands out after a season in which he set career highs with 11 goals, 50 assists and 61 points in 69 games. His 61 points were the most by a Boston defenseman since Bourque recorded 82 during the 1995-96 season.
As the Bruins returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason a year earlier, McAvoy was again asked to carry a heavy workload. He averaged a team-high 24:23 of ice time per game while producing at a level he had never reached before.
McAvoy Put Together Career Year for Bruins
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 01: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins skates with the puck against Jordan Greenway #12 of the Buffalo Sabres during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
McAvoy did more than hit a new career high in points.
NHL.com noted that he recorded 23 power-play points, another personal best and the most by a Bruins defenseman since Krug produced 28 in 2019-20. McAvoy also scored five high-danger goals, which tied for third among NHL defensemen, according to NHL EDGE.
He finished with a plus-13 rating and blocked 129 shots, second-most on Boston.
Those numbers came despite another injury interruption.
McAvoy missed 11 games after taking a puck to the face against Montreal on Nov. 15. The injury resulted in a fractured jaw and multiple lost teeth, but he returned 26 days later.
Boston’s official season review noted that McAvoy finished with 14 multi-point performances and a nine-game point streak that stretched from Jan. 22 through Feb. 28.
His season also included an Olympic gold medal, and McAvoy averaged 19:30 across six games for the United States during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
That body of work makes an 11th-place ranking worth a closer look.
Bruins Star Has Case to Crack NHL Network’s Top 10
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 23: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins talks with Jonathan Aspirot #45 during the second period Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on April 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The argument for moving McAvoy higher doesn’t require pushing him far up the list.
Bouchard’s No. 10 spot is difficult to dispute after the Edmonton Oilers defenseman led all NHL blue-liners with 95 points and finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting.
Seider also has a strong case at No. 9. The Detroit Red Wings defenseman played all 82 games, recorded 60 points, averaged 25:40 of ice time and finished fifth in Norris voting.
Sanderson at No. 8 presents the most interesting comparison.
The Ottawa Senators defenseman finished with a career-high 54 points in 67 games while averaging 24:50. McAvoy had seven more points in two additional games and carried a comparable workload for Boston.
NHL Network’s rankings are designed to weigh more than scoring totals, and Sanderson has developed into one of the league’s top young defensemen. Nonetheless, McAvoy’s production gives him a reasonable case for a place inside the top 10.
McAvoy will miss Boston’s first six games while serving a suspension stemming from his slash on Buffalo forward Benson during the Bruins’ playoff elimination.
Once he returns, though, Boston will again lean heavily on its top defenseman.
All in all, despite McAvoy having the best offensive season of his career while handling top-pair minutes and overcoming another significant injury, NHL Network still found 10 defensemen it preferred.
After what McAvoy did last season, No. 11 feels closer to the low than the high for his true potential.
Boston Bruins’ $76 Million Star Gets Questionable Ranking After Career Year