Talented young defenceman Mason Lohrei was very effective in a top four role with the Bruins last season. Lohrei contributed as a reliable puck-carrying defenceman in Boston’s lineup. He earned a spot with the team for half of the regular season games and most of the playoffs. During his time with Boston, he was capable of earning minutes on the teams’ powerplay. As well as in their overtime lineup. He also played 21 games for the Providence Bruins. The 23-year-old prospect hopes to earn back his top four role with Boston next season. The expectation is to develop parts of his game that need to be improved. Lohrei possesses strong upper-body strength. However, he needs to improve on gaining speed and lateral movement in the offensive and defensive zones. With left-handed defenceman Matt Grzelcyk signing in Pittsburgh, a spot in Boston’s defensive core seems pretty secure for the young defencemen.
Providence to Boston Bruins: Young Defencemen Looking to Maintain His Top Four Role
The Start of Lohrei’s Career
Lohrei is a 6’4, 205-pound defenceman who played in the USHL for the Green Bay Gamblers, and then for two years with Ohio State University. Before Juniors, Lohrei played for Culver Military Academy Prep School in Culver, Indiana. The Bruins drafted Lohrei 58th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft when he was playing for the Green Bay Gamblers.
The 2019-2020 season was Lohrei’s first full season with the Gamblers, where he put up 37 points in 48 games played and was a plus-five rating. During his last season with Green Bay, Lohrei excelled offensively. He put up 19 goals and 40 assists, for 59 points in 48 games. He won USHL defencemen of the year that season, leading all USHL defencemen in goals and assists. After his time with the Green Bay Gamblers, Lohrei decided to play college hockey for two years with Ohio State.
During his first season with Ohio State, Lohrei tallied 29 points in 31 games with four goals and 25 assists. Lohrei had a tremendous first year with the Buckeyes and demonstrated his potential to be top-pairing defencemen in the NHL. In his first season, he made the NCAA Big Ten Conference All-Rookie Team. Following that season, Lohrei played one more year with the Buckeyes, putting up four goals and 28 assists for 32 points in 40 games. That season Lohrei was selected to the Big Ten’s Second team and also the NCAA Third Team. He was able to gain around 5-10 pounds heading into his sophomore campaign, allowing him to improve his physical play in the defensive zone. Lohrei gained confidence heading into his sophomore season. This showed an improvement in his overall decision-making, and ability to make quicker plays for his teammates.
After his second season at Ohio State, Lohrei immediately decided to go pro and played in five games for Providence the same year. He only had a single point with Providence to close out the 2022-2023 season. Nevertheless, Bruins Management knew that he was ready for the professional level.
Lohrei’s Time in Boston Was a Success
During the 2023-2024 season, Lohrei played 41 games in the NHL and 21 in the AHL. He even earned playoff minutes, playing 11 playoff games for Boston this past season. In his 21 games with Providence last season, he put up one goal and 15 assists. The Bruins knew Lohrei’s contributions would be more useful at the NHL level. During his first season, he played in 41 total games, tallying four goals and nine assists for a total of 13 points.
In his first season with Boston, Lohrei was a key piece to the team’s d-core and showed how he could be the go-to guy on their left side for years to come. Lohrei was a big contributor offensively in his first season, mainly in transition. Lohrei was aggressive when it came to rushing the puck, and he showed his confidence when it came to it. He was able to make quick decisions during every transition and rarely panicked when he had the puck. Besides Lohrei’s performance at training camp, the Bruins lacked defensive depth heading into last season. Which was one of the reasons Lohrei got his opportunity in the NHL.
The Opportunity Ahead of Him
With the recent losses of Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort, Lohrei could earn a similar if not bigger of a role with the Bruins this upcoming season. He had success last season being paired with star defencemen Charlie McAvoy for most of the season. However, with the newest addition of Nikita Zadorov, A bottom-pairing type role seems more likely for Lohrei. You have to imagine the Bruins pairing the young defenceman with their star on the right-side. Although if Lohrei was put in a bottom pairing, he would most likely be playing alongside either Brandon Carlo, or 26-year-old Andrew Peeke.
Lohrei had an impressive rookie season with the Boston Bruins. His skating ability for his size is something that immediately caught the eye of Bruins Management. Lohrei possesses strong puck handling and control, so you’ll see him joining offensive rushes more often than not. His ability to make quick decisions when distributing the puck allows him to contribute more off the rush and in the offensive zone. Lohrei has tremendous offensive upside for a young defencemen.
However, he still needs to work on his consistency like many other young players in the NHL. Another area that he could look to improve on is his physical play. Adding strength to help him win more battles, specifically in the defensive zone would be beneficial for his all-around game. Lohrei is heading into next season looking to contribute even more then last season, while trying to improve his all-around game and overall consistency.
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