How Charlie McAvoy Feels About This Potential Bruins Defensive Pairing

Fall is in the air, and hockey season is approaching. Brad Marchand held his first captain's practice for the Boston Bruins at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday. Along with Marchand dropping the news that he had several offseason surgeries to prepare for the upcoming season, defenseman Charlie McAvoy offered insight into how he would feel about being paired with Nikita Zadorov, one of Boston's highly valued free agent signings.

"A lot of fun. I really enjoyed watching him from afar and the player that he is and the career that he's had, and I mean, I'm thrilled with the opportunity to have him here, and he makes our D core really, really whole," McAvoy told reporters, per team-provided video. "We've got a little bit of everything, and I'm just really happy that he's here, and if I get the chance to play with him, I think we'll hit it off. I think we'll be really good together."

At 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, Zadorov has five inches on the Bruins alternate captain, but his presence on the ice will allow McAvoy to jump up into the play offensively more freely this season.

"It's good. It's good to have size. I think you're seeing a little bit of the makeup of a lot of the good teams in this league," McAvoy said. "... He's big. He's mean. He's angry. He has skill. He has all the things that I think you need. He's someone who everybody has to know when he is out on the ice, and I think that that's someone that you really want to have on your team."

McAvoy explained the culture off the ice is just as crucial to the Bruins players as the results on the ice.

"It means a lot. I think it's something that everybody here has. It's a culture that's carried on for a long time ever since I've been here," McAvoy said. "We bring you in with open arms. That's what happened to me, and I've seen it happen to everyone else who comes in here.

"You see the work ethic. You see how guys carry themselves. Just the mannerisms of people around the room. The respect that you see and really the love ... it's hard not to fall in line. It's pretty easy to just fall in here, just to be a part of it."