By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter/X @RyanJBosworth
We’re inching closer and closer to the start of the 2026-27 National Hockey League campaign, and with training camp is set to open in just under two weeks, teams all around the league are listening in on trade calls to make some final roster tweaks before the puck officially drops on the season, and the Bruins are no exception.
According to Jimmy Murphy of RG Media, the Bruins are taking calls on 25-year-old left-hand defenseman Mason Lohrei. Lohrei is heading into his third season in Boston, and the previous two years have left a bit to be desired from the dynamic defenseman. With that being taken into consideration, it’s absolutely time that the Bruins move on from Lohrei, for a number of reasons.
Defense Liability
The first, and most glaringly obvious reason, is the liability that comes on defense with Lohrei. There’s no doubt that he’s a very talented skater and puck handler, however, that often times leaves a void on the blueline that attackers know how to take advantage of. It was most obvious in the 2024-25 season, where Mason had a league-leading -43. While it improved in the 2025-26 season, there was a stretch of games where he was watching from the ninth floor due to poor play.
Left-Hand Defensemen Logjam
Along with Lohrei’s lapses on defense, there’s also a surplus of left-handed defensemen within the Bruins organization, and there are a couple of young players pushing for NHL jobs.
Among those young players is defenseman Frederic Brunet, who made his NHL debut at the end of the 2024-25 season. He was a fifth-round pick of the Bruins in the 2022 NHL entry draft, and he’s spent three full seasons playing for the American Hockey League Providence Bruins. During the 2025-26 season, he recorded a career-high in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus. Through 65 games, he recorded 12-24-36 and a plus/minus of +18.
Not only has he improved every season that he’s spent in the AHL, Bruins management has also been singing his praises, as Don Sweeney gave Brunet some positive remarks at the end-of-the-year press conference following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
“[Frederic Brunet] has done a really good job. I think he’s put himself on our radar now to really push for an NHL opportunity,” Sweeney said. He went on to add that, “He’s had the one game, but you see his game continue to grow. He’s rounded out defensively. He values that part of the game, whereas before him when we first got him, it was go, go, go. I’m a transporter. But now we like the aggressiveness of the offensive blue line… we’re excited to see him take the next steps.”
Contract
The final reason the Bruins would, and should, consider moving Lohrei is his contract. He signed a two-year, $6.4 million contract at the end of the 2024-25 season. His deal, very much being a “prove it” deal, is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. Lohrei hasn’t been a bad defenseman by any means, just not as reliable as management had hoped. I find it somewhat hard to believe they’d resign him after this season.
Lohrei was already in play this season, as Murphy mentioned, when the Bruins were looking to trade for Rasmus Andersson. While the deal ultimately fell through, Boston was set on moving Lohrei out for an upgrade. With that being taken into consideration, and his deal expiring soon, the Bruins should bite on a deal that moves Lohrei out of the organization rather than letting him walk for nothing at the end of the season.
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