The development and integration of young players into the squad has been a problem for the Boston Bruins over the past several seasons, but they have finally found success in this area. Similar to the team’s season thus far, it has been an up-and-down process filled with highs and lows, but it is an essential step in getting their young players promoted to the NHL.
Despite not making the team out of training camp at first, Mason Lohrei has played well in the NHL thus far in 2023–24 despite injuries. There are still a lot of things to be done, even though he might not be ready to play in the NHL full-time yet and could benefit from more time to develop with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). excited about when it comes to his game.
Lohrei is the first player in the NHL to hail from Louisiana; he was born in Baton Rouge on January 17, 2001. His father was the head coach of the ECHL’s now-defunct Baton Rouge Kingfish when he was born.
He grew up and played junior hockey primarily in the Midwest. He played hockey for the Culver Military Academy hockey team throughout his first couple years of high school in Indiana. The United States Hockey League (USHL), a different league in which his father coached for a while, took notice of his play. He became a member of the Green Bay Gamblers for the 2018–19 season. Despite being eligible to enter the 2019 NHL Entry Level Draft, he was not chosen. he did get an invite to the Vegas Golden Knights’ development camp that summer.
Lohrei played in 48 games prior to the 2020 NHL Entry Level Draft, tallying eight goals and 29 assists for a total of 37 points. In addition, he had 26 penalty minutes and was a plus-5. Despite being the 132nd-ranked skater in his selection class and not being much of a buzz before draft weekend, he did have one advantage: he was big. The 19-year-old weighed 194 pounds and had a height of 6-foot-4.
In addition to his bulk, he was regarded as a competent puck carrier with a respectable wrist shot. Even so, the Bruins’ selection of him at 58th overall was a little bit out of the ordinary. After giving up their first-round pick in their trade, it was their first pick in the 2020 Draft. trade with the Anaheim Ducks to get Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, and shed David Backes’ contract.
Lohrei played one more season for the Gamblers after being selected in the NHL Draft, this time donning the A. In his brief hockey career, it was maybe the best season to date. His 59 points and 19 goals were career highs. He lived up to his full potential during that season, which also helped to dispel some skepticism about the Bruins’ decision to select him so highly.
He went on to play two seasons in the NCAA with the Ohio State Buckeyes. In his debut season of 2021–2022, he made 31 appearances and scored 29 points. In his second season, he participated in 40 games and scored 32 points. However, he only managed four goals in each of the two seasons, falling short of the 19 he had. in 2020-21 with the Gamblers.
In both his seasons at Ohio, Lohrei led all defenders on the team in scoring, and established himself as the Bruins’ top defenseman prospect. He saw improvements to his offensive game while at OSU and got more and more comfortable using his size to take up presence on the ice.
Given his growth and progress at Ohio, it was hardly shocking when he signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Providence Bruins following the conclusion of his sophomore season in the NCAA tournament’s second round. The ATO gave him the opportunity to play in a few professional games while maintaining the possibility of going back to Ohio State for his junior year.
After spending five games with the Providence Bruins in the previous season, he made the decision to start his professional career instead of playing in the NCAA in 2023–2024.
Lohrei had a strong preseason, especially considering the Bruins’ vulnerability on the blue line was being revealed. Like a guy like Brent Burns, he has excellent mobility and an aggressive stick in addition to his amazing stature. He still has room to grow in the defensive zone, which is one of the key reasons he did not make the squad out of training camp despite having the potential to be an excellent two-way defender.
Being one of the final cuts, it still seemed certain that he would play in the NHL this year, and he was one of the first call-ups of the season as soon as injuries began to occur on the blue line. On November 2, he made his debut in a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his debut NHL game, he played for more over 21 minutes on the ice and recorded an assist.
From the start, it was clear that he had attacking potential. On November 6, in his third game against the Dallas Stars, he scored his first goal in the NHL. However, there remained doubts about his defensive abilities, as shown by the coaching staff’s hesitation to start him during the Bruins’ transition. into the defensive zone. 60.9% of his starts began in the offensive zone, so it was not a surprise when Matt Grzelcyk was healthy again, Lohrei was sent back to Providence to get some quality minutes to develop his play in the defensive zone.
Lohrei was called up once more after Derek Forbort was sidelined, and he has been in Boston since early December. He has participated in 10 games in Providence and 17 games in Boston so far in 2023–2024. In 17 NHL games, he has five points (two goals), and in 10 AHL games, he has six assists.
The Bruins’ problems in the defensive zone are the first indication that December has not been a good month for them. With the possible exception of Brandon Carlo, it has been a problem for the blue line thus far this season, and Lohrei keeps demonstrating that he needs to improve in that area. Before the short break, it was most noticeable in the team’s most recent game. holiday break, a loss to the Minnesota Wild. There were several sequences where guys.
Lohrei is still the best prospect available to the Bruins, and his defensive skills will improve. When the team can become healthy, he will benefit from a little more time spent in Providence. It should go without saying that the team’s present problems extend well beyond him. The good news is that he still has time to improve that aspect of his game. If they are unable to make progress in their own area, several other players on the roster may soon find that their time with the team is running out.
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