Mason Lohrei hasn't been in the Boston Bruins' lineup since their embarrassing loss to the Ottawa Senators on October 27th. It was another loss in a stretch of seven in eight games, and Lohrei and his defense partner, Charlie McAvoy, weren't doing the team any favors. It was enough for Marco Sturm, and he made the move to recall Jonathan Aspirot to take Lohrei's spot.
Aspirot has been a bright spot for the Bruins, who have won four consecutive games since Sturm made the switch. It isn't that Aspirot is the reason, but his steady defense allowed Nikita Zadorov to move up to the first pair with McAvoy, which has become the best-case scenario for the Bruins' No. 1 defenseman.
All this doesn't mean that Lohrei should never see the Bruins' lineup again. He is too talented offensively not to get another shot, but at this moment, he isn't as reliable defensively as Aspirot. It'd also be a tough move for Sturm to insert Lohrei back in the lineup after a four-game winning streak and lose immediately. That scenario wouldn't boost Lohrei's confidence or the fans' confidence in Sturm.
It puts the Bruins' front office in quite a dilemma. Lohrei is struggling, but it'd be malpractice for a rebuilding team not to take a chance on him if the Bruins tried to send him through waivers. It leaves Lohrei stuck on the ninth floor watching the games without many options to get him onto the ice.
The hope for Sturm is that this extended benching will add some edge to Lohrei and motivate him to be better. Some might argue that, 129 games into his career, he either has the defensive chops or he doesn't, and that a benching won't change that. So, it's up to the coaching staff to put him in a better situation to succeed instead of hoping that a couple of scratches will change him.
Mason Lohrei's potential is through the roof
Lohrei can be a valuable piece for the Bruins, but that doesn't mean he should be on the left side of the top pair. Playing against the other teams' best players every night is exploiting his defensive weaknesses, and it isn't doing McAvoy any favors in trying to cover for him. There would be no shame in Lohrei playing further down the lineup, and that's where he should be for the duration of his career.
The offensive-minded defenseman should be a lock for the team's third pair. The coaching staff can shelter his minutes against the other team's bottom six, where his skating and instincts can take over and help him turn defense into offense. It'd be fewer minutes per game, but there's also a way to get him a bit more time.
McAvoy hasn't been a rockstar running the team's first power play. Lohrei and Hampus Lindholm partner up on the second unit when they are both in the lineup, but Sturm should give Lohrei a chance to move up to the top group. When you have a struggling player like Lohrei, play him to his strengths and hope that it boosts his confidence.
The Bruins haven't had an offensive talent like Lohrei since Torey Krug. Krug was never a shutdown defenseman for the Bruins, but he certainly changed games with his abilities on the power play. No one ever worried about some of Krug's defensive deficiencies, and that's precisely how the Bruins should handle this Lohrei situation.
In the peak of Krug's powers, there were some nights where he played 22-23 minutes, but there were others where he played 16-17. It all depended on the situation. If the Bruins were chasing a lead or had a bunch of power plays, Krug was on the ice. If they were defending a lead or killing a bunch of penalties, Krug wasn't out there as much. Putting Lohrei in the first pairing role doesn't allow the coaching staff to have that option.
Lohrei has too much talent to give up on him. It's time to realize that he will never be the first pairing guy and give him a chance to succeed.