
The Boston Bruins will be trying to make another playoff push this season, but they do have a logjam on their blue line that they need to figure out before the season gets underway. One player who has been brought up in trade conversations throughout the offseason is Mason Lohrei, who seems to be the odd man out.
Lohrei, who is 25 years old, is coming off a solid offensive campaign where he scored seven goals and added 19 assists for 26 points through 73 games. Throughout his career, he has scored 16 goals and added 56 assists for 72 points through 191 games, which comes out to a 0.38 points-per-game average.
The St. Louis Blues are a team that could benefit from adding some defensive depth, and they have the cap space and assets to bring in Lohrei, while not having to deplete their roster or draft capital to bring him in.
In this article, we take a quick look at what a trade between the Blues and Bruins, involving Lohrei, could look like. Keep in mind, while there is speculation the Bruins are looking to move him, there have been no reports that the Blues have taken an interest in him, or will be looking to made any additions before the season gets going, this is purely a hypothetical idea.
It seems as though most fans want to see a full-time role for Frederic Brunet this season, but that wouldn’t be possible if the Bruins kept Lohrei.
Moving Lohrei opens up a spot on the third pairing, which Brunet can step into. At 23 years old, Brunet is a both a younger and more affordable defender for the Bruins, and may be able to bring the same to the table as Lohrei, if not more.
The Blues’ third-pairing defender, according to PuckPedia, is Tyler Tucker, who is solid in that role, but may not be as effective as Lohrei. For a team looking to make it back to the postseason and have a solid run, they may benefit from bringing Lohrei in.
Even if he isn’t an upgrade, the Blues create some internal competition between Lohrei and Tucker on a nightly basis, which never hurts a team on the edge of being competitive.
A deal for Lohrei won’t be a blockbuster by any means, considering this will just be the Bruins trying to clear up an overloaded position. Realistically, they could try and pry a forward away from the Blues, but it won’t be someone who moves the needle significantly.
Realistically, a deal could look like this:
Similar to the Blues’ situation if they acquire Lohrei, the Bruins would be creating some internal competition adding a veteran forward like Walker, which would be beneficial with the young talent in their forward group looking to break into a full-time role this season.
Lohrei is a young defender with promise, so many teams could be interested in him if the Bruins are truly shopping him. The Blues have a unique situation which could make them a good fit for Lohrei, but there will be some teams looking to revamp their defensive core that may also make an offer and try to bring Lohrei in.
As the 2026-27 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!