I had ankle surgery about a year ago. As soon as I was cleared to skate there was minor discomfort with the screws rubbing the liners of my skates. It does get better over time, as I hardly notice the screws anymore. There are skates out there now, with very comfortable ankle padding, such as CCM 70k which I’m currently skating in. I was in Bauer supreme 190 and the 70k has much better padding in the ankles. If you’re foot profile fits, it’s a good place to start. But I’ve heard a lot of different skate brands and models offer more comfortable padding in the ankles now. Just let your son know his ankles will return to a “more” normal state after time. I barely notice the plate and screws anymore.