Bruins assign promising defenseman to AHL

The Bruins announced Friday that blueliner Mason Lohrei has been assigned to AHL Providence. He’ll get some game action in the minors after being scratched in nine of Boston’s last 11 games.

A second-round pick in 2020, the 23-year-old Lohrei still holds the title of the best defense prospect in the organization. He made his NHL debut in November, and early returns suggest he’s well on his way to becoming a regular on the Bruins’ blue line. Through 41 games, the Louisiana native has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) with a -2 rating while averaging 16:57 per game. The Bruins’ possession metrics have been worse than you’d think, given their 107 points, and Lohrei’s individual ones are a tad below average, with a 46.3 CF% and a 49.1 xGF% at even strength. There’s room for improvement, but rookie defenders rarely dominate shot attempts or possession quality.

Lohrei has played spot duty on special teams, averaging around 30 seconds per game on both the power play and penalty kill. His power-play impact has been impressive, although he does have a goal and two assists with the man advantage. He has shone through on the penalty kill, posting a relative CF% of 10.7 and doing well in limiting shot attempts compared to his teammates. That’s a promising early sign of his ability to deal with increased minutes on the PK as he develops.

He’s played well enough that Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery likely won’t have any qualms about inserting Lohrei into the playoff lineup if injuries force Boston’s blueline depth to step up. He’ll have the option to make postseason appearances for Providence, too, which has clinched a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs. He has one year left on his entry-level contract with a $925K cap hit and will be an RFA in 2025.