One of the overriding storylines for this upcoming Bruins training camp is the overwhelming depth at both the defenseman and forward spots.
Mason Lohrei is caught in the D-man picture with 10 NHL-caliber blueliners vying for six regular spots in the lineup and probably eight total spots on the NHL roster and is coming off a season where he posted seven goals and 26 points in 73 games along with a plus-17 rating that was a big-time individual improvement from the season prior. When viewed objectively, Lohrei should have a good shot at winning a job and continuing his development path in Boston.
“I’ve always enjoyed pressure and competition. I just like those moments where you have to rise to the occasion,” said Lohrei to bostonbruins.com. “Ever since I was little, I just think that’s something that I’ve always savored, and I want that. So I am excited. It is going to be high compete. We have 10 NHL-caliber defensemen that are all going for six spots. It’s going to be fun.”
Still, the 25-year-old defenseman struggled at the end of last season after long stretches of competent, solid play and then was a healthy scratch for the final three playoff games against the Sabres after finishing a minus-4 with zero points in the first three games of the series. And he found his name pop up in trade rumors as he was rumored to be part of the proposed trade package (along with Matt Poitras and a first-round pick) being sent to Calgary in the middle of the season in exchange for Rasmus Andersson before the D-man opted to go to the Vegas Golden Knights instead.
The offensive flashes have been there, and Lohrei’s skill level has always been extremely high, but the consistency beginning-to-end hasn’t been there throughout his NHL career to this point.
It all adds up to a pivotal training camp for the young, talented D-man where there’s a lot of uncertainty and plenty he feels like he still has to prove entering the last year of a current contract ($3.2 million cap hit) that would be plenty attractive on the trade market.
“For the season, I think it’s about playing all 84…I want to contribute in all areas. Offensively, defensively, all situations, 5-on-5, 4-on-4, overtime, power play, penalty kill. I want to be somebody that can play in every single situation. And I think I do have the tools to do it. I think it’s just putting everything together, which it’s obviously been a process,” said Lohrei. “Just excited to go out and prove that I deserve one of those spots.”
It will be fierce competition, of course, with the Bruins hoping to see young D-man Frederic Brunet claim a roster spot, and new acquisitions Connor Clifton and Will Borgen expected to both claim NHL spots with Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy and Nikita Zadorov all as no-brainer incumbents, and Jonathan Aspirot looking to build on a surprising campaign that saw him play in a top pairing role with McAvoy for the majority of last season.
Jordan Harris and Henri Jokiharju are there as well, with Jokiharju in a similar spot to Lohrei where the fit might not be a perfect one for Boston’s defensive system, and where they are headed under Marco Sturm’s direction.
The Bruins will buy some time for making the tough decisions on the back end with McAvoy serving a six-game suspension at the start of the NHL regular season, but there simply isn’t enough room for everybody under contract.
Lohrei is right in the middle of that roster battle, but the good news is that he’s ready to put his best foot forward in arguably the most important training camp of his hockey career.
ONE TIMERS
*Interesting tidbit from Belle Fraser’s reporting with the Boston Bruins that both