NHL Odds: Where Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Is Priced To Win Norris Trophy

Charlie McAvoy may miss the start of the 2022-23 season, but he still has the talent to impress.

The Boston Bruins announced on June 3 the 24-year-old defenseman underwent a left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization procedure — his expected recovery time was approximately six months. McAvoy is one of many players who are expected to miss the start of the season, including Brad Marchand, who underwent hip surgery.

However, this didn’t stop sportsbooks from projecting McAvoy to collect silverware for the season. DraftKings Sportsbook has odds out for the James Norris Trophy — the award given to the best defensive player of the season.

Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar is the favorite to win the award in back-to-back seasons at +200 odds. 2019-20 Norris winner Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators is a runner-up favorite at a slightly longer +600, followed by 2017-18 Norris winner Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning at +700 odds.

McAvoy comes in with the fourth-shortest odds to win the Norris Trophy at +800. This means a $100 bet on the Bruins defenseman would pay out $900. In the 2021-22 season, McAvoy finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting, though McAvoy admitted he cared more about team accomplishments than his own individual accolades.

McAvoy was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team after finishing the season in a career-high 78 games, scoring 10 goals and amassing 46 assists — also career highs.

Once McAvoy returns to Boston at full strength, fans can hope the defenseman can surpass his fourth-place billing and come closer to winning the Norris Trophy.