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Mason Lohrei, Boston Bruins (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)

Bruins 2024-25 Player Grades: Mason Lohrei

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Ventura | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 9:45 AM ET

The Boston Bruins recently announced that they signed restricted free agent defenseman Mason Lohrei to an extension. The deal will carry an average annual value (AAV) of $3.2 million and a term of two years. Lohrei was one of a slew of restricted free agents that the Bruins needed to negotiate with; some other names on that list include Morgan Geekie, Johnny Beecher, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Jakub Lauko.

The Bruins should be pleased with the deal they reached with Lohrei; it gives him the opportunity to prove his worth as a top-four defenseman on their roster while playing on a deal that does not make a huge dent in the cap. Lohrei has solidified himself as a major contributor on the Bruins; let’s take a look back at his season.

Promising First Season

Lohrei was drafted with the 58th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft; after two years at Ohio State, his first full pro season came in 2023-24. The 6-foot-5 defenseman was up and down throughout the campaign, playing 41 games in Boston and 21 in Providence. Heading into 2024-25, Lohrei solidified himself as a full-time NHLer, and he appeared in 77 regular-season games for the Bruins throughout the course of the season.

As may be expected of a youngster, Lohrei excelled in some areas but struggled in others. Let’s start by looking at what he did well. He saw meaningful minutes on the power play, particularly after the injuries of Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, and he was able to capitalize on this elevated role. His 16 power-play points trailed only David Pastrnak for the most on the team. Overall, Lohrei finished the season with 28 assists and 33 points, both of which led the Bruins’ defensemen. At just 24 years old, the Bruins should be excited about the potential that Lohrei has shown on the offensive end of the ice.

Areas to Tidy up

On the flip side of his promising offensive potential, Lohrei has some areas of his game that he needs to work on if he is going to develop into a viable top-four defenseman in the NHL. His minus-43 plus/minus was the worst of anyone in the NHL; this is largely due to careless turnovers around the ice and sloppy defensive play in the Bruins’ half. Both of these areas for improvement were exacerbated greatly given that he was forced to play on the Bruins’ top pairing following McAvoy’s injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

In the final 25 games of the 2024-25 season, Lohrei’s plus/minus was minus-31; he was clearly outmatched when having to go up against opposing teams’ top players. With that said, the turnovers have been an issue throughout his time in the NHL, at times costing the Bruins goals as a result. The Bruins are probably hoping to see some improvement from Lohrei on that front before committing to a long-term deal. At just 24 years old, the outlook is positive on him figuring these gaps out.

A Promising Start

Lohrei’s career is off to a promising start. Stepping into the NHL and averaging a half point per game as a defenseman is nothing to scoff at, and as McAvoy and Lindholm return from injury, he should be able to step into a role more suited for a player of his age and caliber at the moment. Given the positive elements of his game that he put on display in 2024-25, he earns himself a B+ on the season. When everyone on the Bruins is healthy, Lohrei should expect to quarterback the second power-play unit and receive meaningful minutes as part of the Bruins’ second pairing. The deal the Bruins just signed him to reflects that role, and the team is certainly expecting him to grow as a player over the next two seasons, earning himself a larger contract during the 2027 offseason.