The Boston Bruins have assembled enough defensive depth to withstand an early-season absence from Charlie McAvoy.
Keeping all of it once McAvoy returns could be another matter.
Boston is set to enter training camp with 10 waiver-eligible defensemen, creating a numbers crunch that Boston.com’s Conor Ryan believes will, at some point, force the front office into action.
“A trade or two feels inevitable between now and the start of the regular season,” Ryan wrote Thursday.
The congestion comes after Boston added Will Borgen and brought back Connor Clifton this offseason while retaining a group that already included McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and several younger options.
McAvoy’s six-game suspension provides the Bruins with some temporary breathing room, but it doesn’t solve the longer-term roster issue.
Bruins Carry 10 Waiver-Eligible Defensemen Into Camp
GettyTAMPA, FL – APRIL 4: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning splits the defense of Pavel Zacha #18 and Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins to reach for a loose puck during the first period at the Benchmark International Arena on April 4, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Ryan listed McAvoy, Lindholm, Zadorov, Borgen, Clifton, Mason Lohrei, Jonathan Aspirot, Henri Jokiharju, Jordan Harris and Frederic Brunet as Boston’s 10 waiver-eligible defensemen heading toward camp.
That’s far more bodies than the Bruins can realistically keep involved on a nightly basis.
Boston can carry extra defensemen early while McAvoy serves his suspension. The 28-year-old will miss the first six games of the 2026-27 season after receiving discipline for his actions at the end of Boston’s playoff elimination against Buffalo.
McAvoy is coming off the best offensive season of his career, recording 11 goals and 61 points in 69 regular-season games, making his eventual return to the lineup automatic.
The dilemma becomes more trickier once McAvoy is eligible to play.
Ryan noted that Boston risks either leaving multiple defensemen in the press box for extended stretches or exposing players to waivers and potentially losing them without receiving anything in return.
Brunet and Harris were specifically identified as players Boston could risk losing on waivers. The situation also could squeeze Lohrei and Jokiharju out of regular ice time despite both being capable of holding NHL roles.
That makes a preseason move easier to envision.
A trade would allow the Bruins to clear the depth chart as they potentially recouping an asset instead of gambling on the waiver process.
Lohrei already stands out as a name worth monitoring, as he has surfaced in trade chatter before.
McAvoy Suspension Only Delays Bruins’ Decision
GettyCALGARY, CANADA – FEBRUARY 28: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against the Calgary Flames during the overtime period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 28, 2023 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
McAvoy’s absence might initially make Boston’s surplus look necessary.
The Bruins will open the season without their top defenseman, and injuries can swiftly thin out a blue line over an 82-game schedule. Boston, therefore, shouldn’t rush into a deal merely to create a deeper depth chart before camp begins.
Yet the same depth that offers protection in October could become difficult to manage once the lineup approaches full strength.
Lindholm, Zadorov, Borgen and Clifton give Boston an experienced veteran base around McAvoy. Lohrei still has room to develop, while Aspirot and Brunet represent younger options who need opportunities of their own.
Keeping that entire group would likely require Boston to accept limited playing time for multiple defensemen or place someone on waivers.
The Bruins have already altered portions of their roster this summer, and an additional transaction would suit a team sorting through its long-term pieces.
A deal doesn’t necessarily have to produce another big-time addition.
Simply turning excess defensive depth into a draft pick, prospect or help elsewhere on the roster could give Boston more flexibility before opening night.
As of now, McAvoy’s suspension buys the Bruins time.
But the crowded blue line still leaves a decision waiting once he comes back.
Boston Bruins Trade ‘Feels Inevitable’ Amid 10-Man Defensive Logjam