The 2024-25 season was one to forget for the entire Boston Bruins organization, but no player wants to turn the page more than Mason Lohrei. The second-year defenseman didn't ask for the added responsibility of leading the defense core once Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm suffered injuries. Still, it sure felt like he was out on an island for the last two months of the season. In the end, he won Mike Commodore's "Green Jacket" for the league's worst plus/minus at -43.
*For context, ex-NHL player Mike Commodore has a bit on social media where he tracks the worst plus/minus numbers in the league, a joke that he mockingly refers to as the chase for the "Green Jacket", an ode to golf's Masters Tournament, where the lowest "minus" wins.
Plus/minus is an outdated statistic in a hockey world that utilizes numerous advanced analytics. However, for the less analytically inclined players, it's still embarrassing to look at the stats at the end of the season and see yourself at the bottom in that category. Especially for a defenseman like Lohrei, with the next closest being Rasmus Andersson with a -38 mark.
Lohrei is unlikely to become a defensive defenseman, as his success at the NHL level will depend on his ability to move the puck and make plays in the offensive zone. However, to play in a team like Boston's top four, it'd be beneficial to be above replacement level in the defensive zone. If you aren't, the masses will turn on you pretty quickly.
No one is more aware of what has to change than Lohrei. It's clear that he took the embarrassment of last year's defensive struggles to heart, and he brought it up to reporters after practice on Wednesday.
"I want to be a big-time player for this team and play big minutes and do a lot of stuff. It starts with defending hard, and then it goes from there," Lohrei said. "That's kind of the message first – worry about defending and being hard in the D-zone and then just letting instincts take over on the other end of the ice."
It's one thing to say it to reporters after practice, and it's another to show it on the ice. The good news for Lohrei is that his partner, McAvoy, returns at full health, and he will be a massive help after the less-than-ideal partners that Lohrei attempted to carry last season. While some may count Lohrei out, I expect a bounce-back in 2025-26.