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HOW GOOD IS CHARLIE MCAVOY?
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Lowetide
Apr 22, 2016, 22:19 EDTUpdated:
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The Edmonton Oilers have so many left-handed defensemen in the pipeline, if they draft another one the fans might revolt. Timing being everything, there are precious few RHD this draft season. One of them is a mobile defender who is showing well in the NCAA. Meet Charlie McAvoy.
In preparing these looks at draft-eligible talents, I find myself imagining the first posts in the comments section. For McAvoy, I expect ‘no more college men!’ or ‘he has no slap shot!’ are in a close race, but if we take the time to find out about him there is a story to tell.
  • Kirk Luedeke, Scouting Report: Charles McAvoy, D Boston University (HEA) 6-0, 208  
    Heady defender can do it all- he pushes the pace with his skating and
    runs the PP like a seasoned veteran. The Long Island native might not
    possess ideal size, but his brain and skill level will allow him to make
    a rapid transition with the Terriers as a freshman    . Source
  • Paul Wheeler, Stanley Cup of Chowder: McAvoy is a young member of
    this draft class – the right-shot was born on December 21st but already
    has impressive pro-level physical characteristics. He’s fast and mobile
    with excellent balance whether going forwards or backwards. He prefers
    to play on his strong side (or at least has predominantly been used that
    side for the majority of his playing career thus far) and has excellent
    vision with a hard and accurate wrister/snap shot from the point. His
    slap shot is weaker than some, but this is a skill that can improve with
    time    . Source
The skating mention in both reports is very important—Edmonton is going to be a faster team next season and they were already much faster in 2015-16—and his skill set suggests outlet passing and carrying the puck will be strengths when he reaches pro hockey.
One of the major items for McAvoy in terms of draft impressions comes from his boxcars. The NCAA coaches don’t play the freshman a lot, and certainly don’t give away cherry power-play time. Let’s compare McAvoy in his first season with Noah Hanifin’s freshman campaign:
  • Charlie McAvoy, Boston University 37GP, 3-22-25 (.676 points-per-game)
  • Noah Hanifin, Boston College 37GP, 5-18-23 (.621 points-per-game)
Important to remember we are comparing offense only here, so the range of skills is not currently under discussion.
  • Steve Kournianos, 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.
    He has a heavy shot that can be delivered with accuracy, and his passes
    are tape to tape, An undervalued part of his game is physicality, which
    gets him in hot water as he’s still learning the difference between a
    timely, legal bone-crushing hit and gross negligence of the rule book    . Source
I love the passing aspect of this scouting report, Oilers need those pinpoint passers and right soon! Kournianos mentions the shot as a strength, whereas Wheeler calls it weaker than some. Scouting reports often differ in specific areas, but when something like this pops up, clarity from a third source might be required. I reached out to Kirk Luedeke and he told me ‘It’s good not elite but room to improve it/add power’ so it sounds like both reports above have merit. 
McAvoy should not be compared to Hanifin, who entered NCAA hockey with an exceptional range of skills, and we discussed him in early 2015  here.
We can say McAvoy has a range of skills, and it is completely possible he goes top 10 in this year’s draft. Remember, he posted that offense against men much older than him and that has value.  Red Line on McAvoy.

WHERE IS HE RANKED?

  • Craig Button March list: No. 22. Source
  • Bob McKenzie mid-season: No. 14 Source

WHAT ABOUT THE OILERS?

If we assume McAvoy goes between No. 10 and No. 25, it is extremely unlikely Edmonton gets a shot in that range. One way they could end up with him? Dealing down from the lottery in an exchange that gives them immediate help plus a pick in that range. McAvoy is an interesting player with many of the things Edmonton requires in a defenseman. If they do trade down, is McAvoy a possible target?
Previously in the series:
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