Charlie McAvoy, Bruins Agree to 8-Year Contract Worth $9.5M per Season

The Boston Bruins and defenseman Charlie McAvoy reached an agreement Friday on an eight-year, $76 million contract extension.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic first reported the deal, which features a $9.5 million average annual value (AAV) and includes $26.5 million in signing bonuses.

McAvoy has established himself as one of the NHL's best two-way defensemen since making his debut for the Bruins during the 2017-18 campaign. The 2016 first-round pick tallied 122 points (24 goals and 98 assists) across 235 appearances over his first four seasons.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic and JFresh of EP Rinkside provided an analytical look at the blueliner's high-end impact.

His new contract, which will go into effect beginning next season, links him to Boston through 2029-30.

The agreement comes on the eve of the Bruins opening their 2021-22 schedule Saturday night when they host the Dallas Stars at TD Garden.

McAvoy, 23, joins Brandon Carlo, 24, as young Boston defensemen who are under contract for the long haul. Carlo's six-year, $24.6 million deal runs through 2026-27.

The New York native becomes the latest rising star on the blue line to land a lucrative extension ahead of the 2021-22 season, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski ($9.6 million AAV), Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar ($9 million AAV) and Dallas Stars' Miro Heiskanen ($8.45 million AAV), among others.

"I'm very happy for them," McAvoy told reporters in September. "I know quite a few of them. Couldn't be happier for them. They're all very well deserved. For me, I'm just excited about this year, excited about the group we have. Being back together and seeing everybody is always awesome."

With McAvoy set to emerge as a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, the Bruins were wise to lock him into a long-term extension despite the high price.