He was thrust into the spotlight last spring, but Charlie McAvoy more than held his own in the Bruins’ first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators.

That was just a small taste of why the Bruins have high hopes in McAvoy.

From World Junior Championships to Beanpot and NCAA tournament appearances and six games of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey, McAvoy has had a good taste of the spotlight. At just 20, he’s already played against some of the world’s best.

Still, there’s one thing that he hasn’t done yet – play a full 82-game season. In a matter of hours, he’ll get his first taste of regular season hockey when the Bruins welcome the defending Western Conference champion Nashville Predators to TD Garden.

Making the short trip from Agganis Arena to Warrior Ice Arena and TD Garden has been the easiest adjustment for the former Boston University standout. McAvoy has learned a few things from his playoff appearance, and is eager to learn more from the likes of Zdeno Chara and the fellow veterans on the Bruins’ blueline.

McAvoy already received some good advice from his fellow veterans this spring. And he’s not shy at seeking a helping hand, especially when it comes to adjusting to the grind of an 82-game slate.

“I’m sure that’s something that I’ll be able to get into as we get going here, you know, especially later in the season,” McAvoy said during Tuesday’s media Day at Warrior Ice Arena.

“A lot of people have spoken to me about it, and it’s not easy. I know it’s not going to be easy, it’s something that I know every single night I’m not going to be feeling 100 percent because that’s unrealistic. But with Game 1 coming up here, I’m just excited to get going and get in. And, you know, all the things throughout the season I’ll approach with and there’s a lot of good people to help me throughout the entire season.”

If there’s anything McAvoy has already learned in his short NHL stint, it’s that there’s not much room for error.

“It’s obviously the best league in the world. The players are all reliable. It doesn’t matter who you line up against every single night, they’re all very good hockey players, and they wouldn’t be in the NHL if they weren’t,” McAvoy added. “So I think that’s been the difference between college and the NHL, is to adapt to lineups and how good players are, and every single player will make you pay if you’re careless with the puck, or whatever it may be.”

With a return to the playoffs, the Bruins have higher expectations entering 2017-18. Of course, every team has Cup aspirations every season, but a step forward beyond a first-round playoff appearance is a realistic goal for the Black and Gold.

The expectations for McAvoy, well they are pretty high as well. He is an early candidate among the likes of Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick – the top two picks in the 2017 Draft – for the Calder Trophy given to the NHL’s top rookie.

Those high expectations aren’t something that McAvoy ponders over all too much.

“Those are the type of things that I don’t think about too much. I know where I want to be, and you know what I want to do to help the team have success,” McAvoy said. “I don’t put too much pressure on myself to achieve what I want to achieve. I just put my best foot forward every night; to play responsible and reliable hockey and help the team win games.”

From playing with Zdeno Chara or Kevan Miller in even strength situations to contributing on the power play, McAvoy will have his fair share of responsibilities in his first full regular season. He wouldn’t want to have it any other way.