Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy set to return following 7-game absence due to lower-body injury

The Boston Bruins‘ most important defenseman is set to return, as head coach Joe Sacco confirmed that Charlie McAvoy will re-enter the lineup Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, per Scott McLaughlin of WEEI Sports Radio.

Sidelined since early January, McAvoy has made 45 appearances on the season in which he has collected five goals and 15 assists for 20 points to sit second in scoring among Boston blue-liners.

Skating in his ninth season with the Bruins, the 27-year-old Long Beach, N.Y., native has totaled 499 appearances in which he has registered 58 goals and 239 assists for 297 points. Last season, McAvoy scored a career-high 12 goals, while in 2021-22 he reached a personal record of 56 points. McAvoy has also added 48 points through 91 postseason appearances.

Per PuckPedia, McAvoy is in the third year of an eight-year contract that carries a $9.5-million annual average value.

For the Bruins, the club will also see the return of rearguard Brandon Carlo who missed Tuesday’s showdown against the Atlantic Division rival Buffalo Sabres due to an illness. The Bruins continue to await the return of defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who has been sidelined since mid-November and missed the past 35 games due to a lower-body injury. Earlier this week, Lindholm returned to Bruins’ practice as a full participant and took contact drills.

Entering Thursday’s contest against the Jets, the Bruins sit 25-21-6 on the season to hold down the first wildcard position in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins stand a single point ahead of both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets and a pair of points up on the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens. Against the Jets, the Bruins will look to rebound after falling 7-2 to the Sabres. The Bruins have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past eight seasons.