Bruins Sign Young Defenseman to Two-Year Extension

The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Mason Lohrei to a two-year extension with an average annual value of $3.2 million ($6.4 million total value), the team announced Monday morning.

Lohrei, 24, appeared in 77 games for Boston this season, recording five goals and 33 points. He also ranked fifth among Bruins defensemen with 19:32 of average ice time, but two of the players above him, Henri Jokiharju and Hampus Lindholm, appeared in fewer than 20 games. Charlie McAvoy, the Bruins' top blue-liner, also appeared in just 50 games and missed the rest of the season after suffering an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

A native of Baton Rouge, La., has nine goals and 48 points in 118 games with Boston over the past two seasons. The Bruins selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the Bruins are very clearly in a transition period. They sold off several valuable players at the trade deadline - including Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and most importantly of all, former captain Brad Marchand.

As the Bruins look to navigate this transition period, signing a key piece of their future seems like a smart path forward.