Boston Bruins fans were likely smiling at their monitors today when seeing the comments made by Marco Sturm at the press conference. After watching whichever six defensemen the first-year head coach used in the first-round playoff series struggle to get the puck out of their zone, the growing complaint in the fanbase was that the blueline needed to move the puck better and be more active.
Marco Sturm said he wants the D to be "more involved in the offensive game" as part of the overall improvement he wants to see from the B's back end. Will be interesting to see how Mason Lohrei plays into that coming into preseason
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) September 16, 2026
Luckily, the head coach was watching the same game the fans were, and he took a lesson from that playoff series. This season, he wants his defense to get more involved in the offense, which is intriguing for a couple of the defenders at training camp.
Mason Lohrei
Did the same head coach who scratched him for two different stretches last season just throw Mason Lohrei a lifeline? Lohrei got into trouble last season for a lack of defensive structure, but showed glimpses of offensive growth. If Sturm wants his blueline to have more of an offensive impact, he will need a player who is actually capable of doing it, and right now Lohrei is that player.
If Lohrei can figure out the defensive side of the puck, he is precisely the defenseman that Sturm is looking for. It's easy for the head coach to make these claims in training camp, but whether he sticks to it the first time Lohrei gets exposed defensively is another thing entirely.
Frederic Brunet
If Frederic Brunet were going to make the Bruins' roster, he would obviously need to show the team why he is worthy over the other nine defensemen who are vying for the seven or eight spots. One area Brunet is good at that the blue line lacks is offense, and with Sturm putting more of an emphasis on that this season, it opens up the opportunity for the young defenseman to turn some heads.
This is the area where offense and defense will blend. If Brunet brings a similar impact to Lohrei but is a bit better on the defensive end, Sturm might choose the newcomer. However, the thinking was that only one of Brunet or Lohrei would fit on this roster, but if the coach is looking for more offense, do they both fit?
Charlie McAvoy
I reluctantly include Charlie McAvoy on this list purely because of my working theory that the team's best defenseman is much better when he stays in his lane and plays a solid two-way game. When McAvoy attempts to do too much at either end of the ice, he begins to get in trouble.
As said before, when he has a more reliable partner, he seems to settle in and play a steadier game, which is when he becomes one of the best defenders in the league. If Sturm is taking the shackles off McAvoy, we should prepare for some interesting moments, whether good or bad.
The reason McAvoy could benefit is that his true Norris-contender status is brought down by being a bit less offensive than the frontrunners. While the thinking was that he would settle in more this season and play a defensive game with a more reliable partner, this new revelation could actually increase his point totals.
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