At this stage of the 2024-25 season, it’s becoming clear that the Boston Bruins aren’t the team many expected them to be. Expectations were understandably high heading into the year—just one season removed from a historic 2022-23 regular season, the Bruins remained competitive in 2023-24 despite losing roster mainstays and franchise greats Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement. The offseason signings of center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov only fueled hopes that they could build on last year’s success and push for something bigger.
Now, with less than a week until the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, the Bruins appear more likely to sell than make aggressive additions to push for a deep playoff run. It’s a dramatic shift in ambitions, but there are silver linings even in a disappointing season. One bright spot has been 24-year-old defenseman Mason Lohrei, who has taken on increased ice time recently due to injuries on the blue line to Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm—an opportunity he’s embracing and capitalizing on.
Increased Opportunity for Lohrei with Key Injuries
Over the last four games, Lohrei has averaged 22:39 of ice time, scoring one goal and five points. For reference, prior to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the 2020 second-round pick was averaging just 18:40 per game. The tournament proved costly for the Bruins, when McAvoy underwent a procedure to treat an infection that arose from an upper-body injury suffered during play. With both McAvoy and Lindholm out of action, Lohrei was thrust into a more prominent role—a prime opportunity for the young blueliner to learn and earn valuable minutes.
There’s no denying that Lohrei’s game is still a little rough around the edges. With 97 regular season games and 11 postseason contests under his belt, Lohrei still has a lot of room to improve. From decision-making to positioning, Lohrei will need to continue refining his game at the NHL level to truly take that next step. Though he’s put forth a respectable offensive output this season, his four goals and 28 points in 56 games have come with 64% of his shifts starting in the offensive zone, giving him a more favorable deployment. This approach helps maximize his value now, boosting his offense and confidence. Long-term, though, the Bruins will want to deploy him more balanced to round out his game. On top of this, he’s made just 15 hits in 56 games despite his size while contributing only 29 takeaways to 75 giveaways. Impressively, though, despite the shortcomings in his game, Lohrei’s confidence has never seemed to falter.
Injuries to McAvoy and Lindholm, combined with a season that has fallen well short of early expectations, make it difficult to find positives. Still, Lohrei’s opportunity to develop in a top role is one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Offensively, Lohrei’s ability to move the puck—both with his skates and his stick—stands out as one of his biggest strengths. He possesses a level of poise and control that isn’t always common in young defensemen, allowing him to transition the puck up the ice with confidence. What makes his mobility even more impressive is how fluidly he moves for his size. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Lohrei skates with the agility of a much smaller player.
The opportunity to continue building confidence, even despite some mistakes made along the way, is invaluable for any young player in a professional sports setting. Lohrei will continue to get these minutes and if the Bruins are smart, they’ll let him learn on the fly so that he can iron out the deficiencies and hone in on his strengths. Experience is a real factor in development and this is the perfect opportunity for Lohrei to be baptized by fire.
As the March 7 Trade Deadline approaches, the Bruins will have some tough decisions to make. Their trajectory for the rest of the season will become clearer once the dust settles, but while they still aim to stay competitive, this roster may not be built for a deep playoff push. That said, even if the Bruins make moves, the expectation is that they’ll focus on additions with value beyond the 2024-25 season. Pure rentals have basically been ruled out and any departures will likely be players who no longer fit the long-term vision due to performance, contract status, or relative replaceability within the lineup.
