Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei is heading into training camp with a positive mindset despite a challenging end to last season and ongoing trade speculation.
Lohrei, who played 73 regular-season games for the Bruins in 2025-26, averaging nearly 17 minutes per game, found himself sidelined during the playoffs. After playing the first three games of Boston's series against the Buffalo Sabres, he was benched by head coach Marco Sturm for the remainder of the postseason. He averaged just over 11 minutes in the team's 4-2 victory on April 21, according to reports.
Reflecting on the benching, Lohrei told the Boston Globe: "Obviously you're pretty pissed off with that. I don't know, you go into the beginning of the summer, and it's still fresh, so it sucks."
Despite the frustration, Lohrei says he's using the experience as motivation. "Eventually in the summer, I try and just flush everything," he said. "I love to be on the ice in the summer. I love to be in the gym and just trying to better myself. And it doesn't matter what happened the year before, whether it was the best year of your career or not great, or what happened the last three games. Just try and have fun doing what I love and just trying to improve myself."
Lohrei, a former second-round pick, previously averaged over 19 minutes per game in 2024-25, but that came during a period when the Bruins were dealing with key injuries. His ice time dipped last season, and he finished with 7 goals and 26 points, improving his plus/minus from minus-43 to plus-17.
Now, Lohrei faces a crowded defensive corps. The Bruins added William Borgen and Connor Clifton on July 1, solidifying the right side behind Charlie McAvoy, which pushed Henri Jokiharju (who carries a $3MM AAV) out of many lineup projections. On the left side, the team brought back Jordan Harris, and rookie Jonathan Aspirot has made a strong impression. With top prospect Frederic Brunet also in the mix, there are now ten defensemen who would require waivers if sent down, and at least three will need to be assigned to Providence after camp.
Lohrei, however, welcomes the competition. "I kind of like that competition aspect of it, especially going into camp, knowing you've got to earn your spot," he said. "And we have a lot of really good NHL-caliber defensemen that are going to be competing for spots. And I think that's going to just help everybody raise their compete level. I know it's going to help me, for sure."
Trade rumors have followed Lohrei throughout the offseason. Reports have linked him to the Calgary Flames in a potential deal for Rasmus Andersson, and to the Edmonton Oilers in a swap for Darnell Nurse. Boston.com's Conor Ryan has hinted that "a trade or two feels inevitable" given the defensive logjam. In November, general manager Don Sweeney was reported to be considering trading Lohrei, and The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa reported in July that Lohrei—and potentially Jokiharju—could be dealt.
Lohrei is under contract through next season at a $3.2MM cap hit, after which he will become a restricted free agent eligible for arbitration. If he and Jokiharju end up as healthy scratches, the Bruins would have $6.2MM tied up in depth defensemen—a scenario the front office may welcome given their emphasis on depth, though it raises questions about how that money could be allocated elsewhere.
Despite the uncertainty, Lohrei appears focused on earning his spot. His comments suggest he is not expecting to be traded, but with so many capable defensemen vying for limited roles, his future with the Bruins remains a topic of intense speculation.