NHL Draft Prospect Profile - Charlie McAvoy

Get to Know Charlie McAvoy

Date of Birth: 12-21-1997
Place of Birth: Long Beach, NY, USA
Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 198 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Defense
Team (League): Boston University (NCAA)

Statistics

What Scouts See

The Draft Analyst:

He’s a confident puck carrier who attacks openings with speed, but can also slow it down and patiently weigh his options. Always moving his feet, McAvoy is capable of slipping through gaps without the puck, or stickhandling around traffic while keeping the puck close to his body.

Last Word on Sports:

McAvoy’s strong skating allows him to defend against the rush and to take away the middle and force forwards to the outside. McAvoy has shown the willingness to play physical. He needs to time his hits better though, as he has a tendency to get caught looking for a big physical hit instead of staying back and making the play.

What BSN Avalanche sees

McAvoy is everything you love to see from a defenseman. He has decent size but a stocky frame that will allow more weight to be easily added to it in pro hockey. He’s a good skater that gets to his top gear quickly, which really helps his aggressive, attacking mindset when he decides it’s go time. He doesn’t lack for confidence on either end of the ice and will not hesitate to deliver a big hit if he sees it available to him. He’s active and effective on both ends and while he may not have “true number 1” potential, it would not be a surprise to see him end up on a top pairing someday.

McAvoy’s confidence seems to betray him from time to time. Anytime you have a slick playmaker on the back end you know you’re going to have some turnovers to live with as he learns his limitations. McAvoy doesn’t stray from that and he gets himself in trouble trying to do too much. This applies to the defensive end, as well, as he seeks out the occasional highlight reel hit and stops tracking the play properly. For a guy whose offense is a main selling point, he’s not as dynamic as some of the other guys in this draft. You wonder if his lack of standout ability on either end means he’s this year’s version of Jakub Zboril, who struggled mightily after being a high first round selection last year.

Highlights

NHL Potential

McAvoy could be a top pairing guy on a weaker defensive team but his best fit is as a middle pairing player who can do occasional damage. He’s probably not going to be a huge points producer in the NHL but he’s also not a sub-20 point player, either. McAvoy will be a solid contributor in several years for whoever drafts him.

Expected Draft Position

While the top three defensemen have been seemingly set for months, the late negativity surrounding Jakob Chychrun opens the door for McAvoy, Jake Bean, and Dante Fabbro to all be the third selected. I would expect McAvoy’s earliest consideration to be about 12th overall with a floor of the mid-20’s.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

McAvoy would be a bit of a reach at 10th overall for the Avalanche but he would immediately slot in as the top defensive prospect in the organization ahead of Nicolas Meloche. He’s already completed one NCAA season and it’s hard to envision the team that drafts him letting him play beyond his junior year so you expect a pro contributor within two seasons. McAvoy would further bolster a stacked Colorado farm system and would give the Avalanche another high-end right-handed defenseman, a noted commodity in the NHL.