Charlie McAvoy speaks on this new Boston Bruins defensive pairing

"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."

"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."

"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.