Charlie McAvoy will be missing his linemate when the new season begins in January.
But Don Sweeney doesn't think the defenseman should feel any added pressure with Zdeno Chara leaving the organization.
Chara signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, marking the end of an incredible 14-year run with the Boston Bruins.
McAvoy has played alongside Chara for the past three seasons, and now likely will play a bigger role with the 43-year-old no longer around.
Sweeney doesn't want McAvoy to change his game, though, and hopes he doesn't change the way he plays despite who he's paired up with.
"I think Charlie and (head coach) Bruce (Cassidy) have had conversations with regard – we don’t want Charlie to change the way he plays in regards to who he’s playing with," the B's general manager said Thursday during a video conference. "I do believe he plays a lion’s share of the minutes and has puck possession, he leads our hockey club in those areas and we don’t want that to change. He shouldn’t feel that he needs any undue pressure on him to change. He just has to go out and play the way that Charlie is capable of playing. We have to have the other people step in to minutes and roles and carry the load. That’s a simple as it is.
"One player is not going to get you to the promised land, it has to be the collection of the group. Our group of six on any particular night needs to transition the puck better, we defend very well as a group. Our forwards need to do a continuing job of hopefully adding to the depth to our hockey club up front. ... Charlie really shouldn’t have any increased or added pressure. He’s been at that level. We’re going to continue to have him at that level, probably introduce a little more of the power play opportunities to him. ..."
It certainly will be interesting to see what kind of role McAvoy plays come Jan. 14. But if he will be paired with a younger defenseman, there's no better person to learn from than McAvoy, who learned from one of the best.
