The Bruins are 50 days away from their season opener, and one familiar name is still hanging just outside the NHL Network’s top tier on defense.
Charlie McAvoy landed at No. 11 on the network’s list of the top 20 defensemen entering the 2026-27 season. That’s the same spot he held going into 2025-26, after dropping from No. 7 the year before. It comes despite a career-best offensive season from the Boston blue-liner, who finished with 61 points on 11 goals and 50 assists.
At the top of the list, nothing changed in the top three, while Buffalo’s captain climbed from No. 7 to No. 4.
Matthew Schaefer also cracked the ranking for the first time, debuting at No. 7.
Around the league, the Elias Pettersson conversation continues to linger, even if the temperature has cooled. Teams have checked in on the Canucks center, but Rick Dhaliwal said a trade “never got close in the last few months” and Vancouver did not approach his camp with a deal. The contract remains a tough one to move, too, with one team telling Dhaliwal the Canucks would need to retain “close to three” million yearly to get it done.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup also wrapped with Canada beating the USA 8-1 in the gold medal game, while Finland took bronze. With the 2027 NHL scouting season beginning to take shape, Jason Bukala and Sam Consentino highlighted several prospects to watch from that draft class.
There’s also movement on a few other fronts: the Flyers are being asked whether an Adam Fantilli offer sheet is worth the risk, Evgeny Kuznetsov is headed to Sibir Novosibirsk and will join his fourth KHL team since the 2024-25 season, and Noah Philp has retired from pro hockey after 32 NHL games, including 30 with Edmonton and two with Carolina.
Down in Florida, George Richards has a look at the Panthers’ in-state rival after the Lightning lost Darren Raddysh and replaced him in the short term with John Carlson. Tampa Bay has been steady, but still hasn’t made it past the first round since losing in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
In Other News...
Bruins Are Making A Youth Bet Boston Fans Can't Ignore
Don Sweeneys latest move gave the Bruins a different kind of offseason jolt, with the trade for JJ Peterka signaling a willingness to reshape the roster without diving headfirst into the free-agent market. Even with some salary cap space still available, the expectation around Boston is that the front office may keep the checkbook mostly closed and instead lean into the players already in the system. For a team that has spent years balancing the urge to stay competitive with the need to reset on the fly, that is a meaningful shift in approach.
Steve Conroy has pointed to a youth-heavy path for the coming season, with Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov and James Hagens among the names that could matter more than they would have in a more veteran-minded summer. The Bruins are not done tinkering, but if more changes come, they may be the kind that happen through trades rather than a late free-agent splash. For Boston fans, the bigger story may be less about who is still available and more about which young players are trusted to take the next step. [Read more 🡒]
David Pastrnak Is Chasing A Bruins Legacy Few Ever Reach
David Pastrnak heads into the next Bruins season sitting in rare company, and the climb above him is starting to feel very real. He finished last year with 420 career goals, good for fifth on the franchise list, and the names just ahead of him are familiar ones from Bostons recent core: Brad Marchand at 422 and Patrice Bergeron at 427. With a productive start, Pastrnak could climb quickly and move into third place before long, adding another layer to what is already becoming one of the defining scoring runs in Bruins history.
The bigger picture is what makes this chase stand out. Johnny Bucyks franchise record of 545 goals has long seemed untouchable, but Pastrnaks pace has at least put that landmark into view if he keeps piling up goals year after year. For a player who has already helped define an era in Boston, the next step is less about milestones for their own sake and more about how far this run can carry him in the record book before his career is done. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Took A Different Offseason Path But One Question Remains
Bostons offseason has felt quieter than the usual July splash, but the Bruins have still been active in ways that matter. Rather than chase the top of the free-agent market, they leaned into a different route, adding Connor Clifton as their most notable signing while doing more of their roster reshaping through trades. The biggest moves brought in JJ Peterka and Will Borgen, a sign the front office was willing to prioritize fit and long-term structure over the kind of headline-grabbing spending spree fans often expect.
What makes the approach more interesting is the broader league backdrop, where contract prices keep climbing and teams are already looking ahead to the 2027 free-agent class. For the Bruins, the real question is whether this quieter path leaves them positioned to stay competitive now while keeping enough flexibility for what comes next. The roster has been rearranged, but the front office still has to prove the new mix adds up to more than a different kind of offseason story. [Read more 🡒]