Boston Bruins Sign Mason Lohrei To Entry-Level Contract
The Boston Bruins have announced the signing of defenseman Mason Lohrei to a two-year entry-level contract that will take effect from the start of the 2023-24 season. The deal comes with an annual NHL cap hit of $925,000. Further financial terms have not been disclosed.
Lohrei, 22, has had an impressive rise to the professional ranks since Boston drafted him in 2020. He played for Ohio State University for the past two seasons, where he led the team’s defense in scoring in his first year with 29 points in 31 appearances. In his sophomore year, he tallied 32 points in 40 appearances, helping to lead Ohio State to the regional finals of the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, losing to the eventual national champion, Quinnipiac. He appeared in eight combined regular-season and playoff games for the AHL’s Providence Bruins on a PTO at the end of the season, registering an assist and a -2 rating.
Before his time at Ohio State, Lohrei spent three seasons in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. His final season with the team in 2020-21 was particularly noteworthy, leading all USHL defensemen in scoring and ranked sixth overall, posting an impressive 59 points in 48 games.
Lohrei’s size and skill set make him an exciting prospect for the Bruins and undoubtedly their best one among defenders. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, Lohrei is a strong defender, adept at moving the puck and contributing offensively. He has a natural tendency to get involved in rush plays but, at least at the collegiate level, does so routinely without getting left out to dry defensively. As usual for defenders, he’ll need some seasoning in the minors to adjust to the pro game, but he should find himself gaining some NHL looks by the 2024-25 campaign.
Afternoon Notes: Bruins, Samsonov, Sprong
Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub is reporting that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is hinting that the Bruins will go into a re-tool this offseason. What that will be remains to be seen but the long-time GM was quoted as saying, “roster changes are likely coming.” Sweeney continually referenced Boston’s dire salary cap situation as well as integrating younger players into the lineup. Sweeney’s words are no surprise given that Boston has less than $5MM in cap space entering the offseason and have just seven of their current forwards signed to contracts for next year. Boston will also need to work out a new contract for backup goaltender Jeremy Swayman who will be a restricted free agent this summer.
On top of needing to work out a deal with Swayman, Boston has many other key free agents who will likely need to move on given the Bruins lack of cap space. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí are both unrestricted free agents who played on low cap hits last season and hit bonus clauses that will cause Boston to carry bonus overages of $4.5MM into 2023-24. Trade deadline acquisitions Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway are also all unrestricted free agents this summer and are likely to seek employment elsewhere. Given everything going on in Boston they will have a very different looking team than the one that lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.
In other notes from around the NHL:
NHL Insider Chris Johnston tweeted today from Toronto Maple Leafs practice that Ilya Samsonov was not at Toronto practice and that goalie coach Curtis Sanford was working with Joseph Woll and Matt Murray. The Leafs have yet to offer an update on their netminders status for game 4. Samsonov is expected to have an MRI and some additional tests prior to the team offering an update on their starter for the elimination game on Wednesday. Woll would be the likely starter for Toronto should Samsonov be unable to play. The 26-year-old Samsonov was injured in a collision with teammate Luke Schenn in game 3 and was unable to return to action.
The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward Daniel Sprong has been ruled out of game 4 against the Dallas Stars. The 26-year-old is dealing with an upper body injury and won’t dress tonight as they Kraken look to take a 3-1 stranglehold on their second round series. Sprong has just two points in 10 games in these playoffs and is currently mired in a six-game pointless streak. He played just 6:36 in Seattle’s 7-2 game 3 victory and has been largely relegated to fourth line minutes during his recent stretch of poor play.
Tyler Bertuzzi Hasn't Had Extension Talks With Bruins
- Tyler Bertuzzi‘s agent, Todd Reynolds, has not had any talks with the Boston Bruins regarding his client’s future, according to a tweet from Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. In a text message, Reynolds stated that Bertuzzi was “very positive” about his time with the Bruins and would be open to staying, although the stress of cap implications for the Bruins makes it seem unlikely. Bertuzzi tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with 10 points in seven games in their First Round loss to the Florida Panthers.
Jim Montgomery Named Jack Adams Award Finalist
The finalists are Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken, Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils, and Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins.
Although Ruff and Hakstol are both exceptionally qualified candidates for the award, the favorite has to be Montgomery, the Bruins’ head coach. Despite the disappointment of the Bruins’ first-round playoff exit, Montgomery’s work with the Bruins is undeniably worthy of recognition. He managed the veteran team to the winningest regular season in NHL history, breaking numerous records en route to the Presidents’ Trophy.
Boston Bruins Sign Matthew Poitras To ELC
The Boston Bruins have signed forward Matthew Poitras to a three-year entry-level contract starting next season with a cap hit of $870,000, the team announced today.
Poitras, 19, is coming off a wildly successful season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, where he recorded 95 points (16 goals, 79 assists) in 63 games. He ranked second in the league in assists and was tied for fifth in scoring.
Poitras also had a productive rookie season with Guelph in 2021-22, tallying 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) in 68 games. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward was selected by the Bruins in the second round, 54th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Born in Brooklin, Ontario, Poitras is an incredibly cerebral center that plays a surgical game, identifying small gaps in the ice to escape defenders and make passes. It’s a style that tracks to translate well to NHL ice, where Poitras will have much less space and time to maneuver around the rink.
Poitras has only played two seasons of junior hockey, however, with his rookie campaign stripped due to the COVID pandemic. In all likelihood, he’s headed back to Guelph for another season of OHL hockey, looking to potentially surpass the 100-point mark in a single season. He would be the first Storm player to do so since Nate Schnarr in 2018-19.
Poitras’ contract is eligible for an entry-level slide due to his age, meaning if he plays less than 10 NHL games next season, the beginning of his contract will defer to the 2024-25 season.
Bruins Notes: Krejci, Orlov, Foligno
The Boston Bruins season ended abruptly earlier this week. Their record regular season saw them win 65 games and set an NHL record, and they jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers before losing three straight and being eliminated in overtime of Game 7. You can expect players to need some time to decompress after such a shocking series loss, and David Krejci is one who will need to take some time to think about his future, according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.
The 37-year-old center returned to the NHL after spending one season in Czechia and scored 16 goals and 56 points in 70 games for the Bruins. Benjamin reports that the veteran is already close to making a decision on next season but wants to ensure he takes the proper time before making an announcement. It should not be long before we hear from the pending free agent, but there are only two options as he will either return to the Bruins or retire.
- Matt Porter of the Boston Globe reports Dmitry Orlov also is considering his options for next season already. The 31-year-old defenseman played his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals before being dealt to the Bruins at the trade deadline. He fit in extremely well in Boston, but Porter suggests Orlov is looking to return to Washington next season when he becomes a free agent in July.
- One player who sounds more ready to stay in Boston is veteran forward Nick Foligno. He just wrapped up the final year of his two-year contract with the Bruins but Porter reports Foligno is interested in returning. The 35-year-old winger feels he still has a lot left to offer and is a big part of the team. He would have to take a significant pay cut after earning $3.8MM the past two seasons and scoring twn goals and 26 points in 60 games, but he can still contribute in a fourth line role.
NHL Announces Frank J. Selke Trophy Finalists
The NHL is announcing finalists for the annual NHL Awards this week, though they will not be handed out until late June between the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. The finalists for the Hart Trophy will not be named until Friday, May 12, but the Frank J. Selke Trophy finalists have been announced already. This award goes to the league’s best defensive forward.
To no one’s surprise, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was one of the finalists. This marks the 12th consecutive season that Bergeron is a finalist for the Selke Trophy, as he will go down as perhaps the best defensive forward in hockey history. He has already won the award a record five times and is looking to add to that total with a sixth win. At age 37, Bergeron still remains one of the best penalty killing forwards and faceoff guys in the entire league.
Nico Hischier is also a finalist for the award, and this is his first time as a nominee. The New Jersey Devils center really broke through offensively this season with 31 goals and 80 points, but his defensive game is just as good, if not better, than what he does in the offensive zone. He wins over 53% of his draws, blocks shots, is the Devils top penalty killing forward and limits scoring chances against.
Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs is also up for the award. Known mostly for his offensive wizardry, the Leafs continue to lean on Marner in defensive situations as well and he has risen to the occasion. Though it is rare for a winger to win the award, the Maple Leafs always limit chances against when Marner is on the ice, and he is among the best forwards in the league at taking the puck away from opponents while he has also become one of the most used penalty killers among forwards in the league.
Jakub Zboril Will Play In IIHF World Championship
- Mark Divver of NHL.com reports that Boston Bruins’ defenseman Jakub Zboril will suit up for Czechia in the IIHF World Championship. Zboril, who is on the first year of a 2-year, $2.275MM contract, played in 22 games this year for Boston, scoring one goal and three assists.
[SOURCE LINK]
David Krejci Injury Update
Some of the most unfortunate injury news in this year’s playoffs up to this point, has been the absence of Boston Bruins’ top two veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci for a majority of their series against the Florida Panthers. For Krejci specifically, he missed Games Three, Four, and Five, but did manage to play in Game Six, accruing almost 18 minutes of ice time in the loss.
Amalie Benjamin of the NHL reports that Krejci is on the ice for morning practice, which gives some optimism that he will be back in the lineup for Game Seven. Although the Bruins acquired significant depth at both offense and defense at the trade deadline this year, which has made the absence of Krejci and Bergeron more palatable for the team, it is hard to imagine any player replicating what those veterans are able to bring to the table.
If the Bruins do secure the win in Game Seven, this will still be something to monitor for Boston. In what is expected to be one of, if not the last, Stanley Cup run for both Bergeron and Krejci, their lack of games played up to this point has been unfortunate. For context, it should be remembered that Krejci was shut down the final two games of the regular season due to a lower-body injury, which may be what has still been ailing him up to this point.
Bruins Decline To Name Game Seven Starter
Rosters for the upcoming World Championships are likely to be revealed in the coming days but Red Wings center Andrew Copp won’t on the one for Team USA, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Copp decided to decline the offer to let his body heal up, allowing him to be fully healthy heading into training camp. Although the 28-year-old played in every game this season, he missed training camp due to his recovery from offseason surgery which resulted in a slow start and a quieter-than-expected campaign that saw him score just nine goals. Clearly, Copp is hoping that a more traditional offseason and a full camp will result in him being more productive in 2023-24.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- If the Sabres intend to go with a young goalie tandem next season in Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, veteran Eric Comrie would likely be the odd one out. With that in mind, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News suggests that Buffalo would be wise to re-sign Malcolm Subban this offseason to hedge as insurance in case Comrie is either traded or cleared off waivers. While there is definitely an upside to carrying two promising youngsters in goal, it stands to reason that they should have at least one veteran in the fold. Subban had a 2.94 GAA with a .903 SV% in 39 regular season games with Rochester.
- After a tough showing last night against Florida, some have wondered if Boston might opt to make a goalie change heading into Sunday’s series-deciding game. Speaking with reporters today including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Jim Montgomery declined to say who will get the nod. Linus Ullmark, the expected Vezina Trophy winner, has allowed 10 goals on 57 shots over the last two games but while they have a more than capable backup in Jeremy Swayman, the 24-year-old has just three minutes of game action since the regular season ended two-and-a-half weeks ago.