Bruins' Projected Defense Pairings Have Interesting Look
The NHL's official Facebook account has revealed their defense projections for each team in the Atlantic Division. This includes the Boston Bruins, of course.
For the Bruins' top pairing, the NHL's account sees Mason Lohrei skating alongside Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy being on the right side of the Bruins' top pairing is a no-brainer, as he is by far their best right-shot defenseman. However, things get more interesting when it comes to Lohrei, as he is a young offensive defenseman on the rise. Perhaps playing with a steady veteran blueliner like McAvoy could help Lohrei take that next step in his development.
For the Bruins' second pairing, the NHL's account sees Hampus Lindholm playing with Henri Jokiharju. While Lindholm is the Bruins' top left-shot defenseman, he has often played on their second pairing instead of with McAvoy. As for Jokiharju, it would be understandable if he got top-four minutes after landing his nice three-year, $9 million deal this off-season.
As for the Bruins' bottom pairing, the NHL's account has Nikita Zadorov playing with Andrew Peeke. The Bruins have had these two players together in the past, so it would not be too surprising if they did again. However, Zadorov could be a candidate for top-four minutes, given his importance to their blueline.
It is going to be interesting to see what the Bruins' defense pairings look like on opening night. They certainly have multiple options to consider with their blueline.
Bruins Star Lands High Rating In NHL 26
With the 2025-26 season right around the corner, EA Sports will be releasing NHL 26 shortly. The game's release date is on Sep. 12, so EA Sports is now starting to reveal the NHL players with the highest ratings for each position.
On Aug. 25, EA Sports shared who they have as the top 10 right-shot defensemen in NHL 26. Without much surprise, Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy has made the cut and has earned a high rating.
For NHL 26, Charlie McAvoy is 89 overall, which is higher than other notable blueliners like Evan Bouchard, Colton Parayko, and Moritz Seider. The only two defensemen who have higher rankings than McAvoy in NHL 26 are Cale Makar (96 overall) and Adam Fox (90 overall).
When noting that McAvoy is a legitimate star, it is not too surprising to see the Bruins blueliner be ranked as a top-three right-shot defenseman in NHL 26. He has been one of the NHL's top defensemen for quite some time, and the Bruins will certainly be relying on him in 2025-26 because of it.
In 50 games this past season with the Bruins, McAvoy posted seven goals, 16 assists, 23 points, 81 blocks, and 89 hits.
