Boston Bruins Mason Lohrei was the 2020 second-round pick and is entering his first entire professional season. He finished last season with AHL affiliate Providence once Ohio State was knocked out of the NCAA tournament. The young defenceman now looks to crack the NHL roster out of training camp.
Where to Place Mason Lohrei
Boston Bruins Mason Lohrei has earned the chance to make the opening night roster. Should he make the team, or is he better off being assigned to AHL Providence? Considering the 22-year-old only has five pro games under his belt, it would make more sense to let him season a little more down in the minors. However, that’s not to say he couldn’t land a spot in the NHL. He’s made plays that have showcased his puck movement, but he’s also been been lost in the defensive zone on a few occasions.
If he does report to Providence, he will get the opportunity to play every night and will be a minute eater. He’d also get power-play and penalty kill time, which would greatly benefit developing his game. Last season, in five games with Providence, he had one assist. The 6’4 defenceman showed in his first preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres he can be a workhorse. He played a total of 29:01 and was featured heavily on both special teams units. If a defenceman for the Bruins goes down, Lohrei should be among the first to be called up.
Lohrei’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Lohrei is an excellent puck-moving defenceman. He had a very successful junior hockey career in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers, where he recorded 96 points in 105 games. Then, in two seasons at Ohio State, he recorded 61 points in 71 games. He is a great puck distributor, which made him a huge part of the OSU power-play. He also isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and play a physical game. Another big strength is he has a long reach, which is very beneficial as a defenceman in all three zones of the ice.
While he is a very sound defenseman, he’ll need to improve on a few parts of his game. Transitioning back to the defensive zone from the offensive zone isn’t very explosive, which could lead to opposing odd-man rushes. In the first preseason game against Buffalo, he was losr in transition by Sabres first-round pick Zach Benson. This went on to lead to a breakaway and is something to improve on as we advance. Boston Bruins Mason Lohrei will have to work on his quickness more to avoid getting caught flat-footed and getting back into position. For a large part of preseason, he was alongside Brandon Carlo. The right defensive partner can help mentor his game further.
The Future of the Boston Defence
Boston already has two workhorse defenceman under contract for a long time, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Lohrei could very well make that a third down the road. He won’t have an immediate impact like McAvoy or Lindholm, but he certainly has the potential to develop into that. The fact that he played 29 minutes in his first NHL preseason game speaks volumes of what he’s capable of at the pro level. It also says the organization has a lot of high expectations for the Madison, Wisconsin native.
In his last three preseason games, he was paired with McAvoy, which could be a preview of things to come. He scored his first NHL preseason goal Tuesday night against the Washington Capitals on a beautiful wrist shot as the trailer. He didn’t do much that stood out Thursday night against the Rangers, but his survival of the final roster cuts is still on the table.
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