The Boston Bruins were the fortunate recipients of an early dispatch from Santa Claus. The Bruins landed defenseman Ilya Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars.
As my colleague Nate Duffett described, Kolyachonok was the odd man out in a game of numbers in Dallas. Be that as it may, the Bruins needed a blueliner to supplement currently injured blueliners.
But there’s an interesting comment by Duffett that leads to a deeper layer to this move.
In his piece, Duffett described how incumbent Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei could be on his way out of the lineup with Kolyachonok’s arrival. As such, if Kolyachonok becomes a solid fit, and there’s every reason to think that will be the case, Lohrei could become expendable.
Lohrei, as Duffett wrote, has landed in Marco Sturm’s doghouse at times this season. While there are various reasons driving Sturm’s decisions, the fact is that Lohrei has neither been a solid defender or a decent puck-moving blueliner.
Kolyachonok solves at least one of these issues. In that event, Lohrei could become expendable. Lohrei’s grip on a lineup spot could become even more tenuous as injured defenders return to the lineup. Spots on the back end will become scarce, placing even more pressure on Lohrei to live up to expectations.
But then again, there is no need to be so pessimistic. Often, some healthy competition can be enough to spur players to elevate their game.
Lohrei could find a new level in his game with Kolyachonok’s arrival
It’s worth pointing out that the Bruins won’t be jettisoning Lohrei tomorrow morning. Unless there’s a trade in the works that we don’t know about, the club will take its time with Lohrei. If anything, Lohrei trade rumors could pick up as injured defenders come back into the lineup.
Nevertheless, there’s reason to believe that Lohrei could rediscover his game. Having another talented blueliner like Kolyachonok could serve to take some of the pressure off Lohrei. And, as we’ve seen over the years, a player’s struggles are sometimes psychological. Once those pressures are deflected, the player can regain his true form.
That would be the best-case scenario for Lohrei and the Bruins. Having Lohrei regain his form could open up a new path forward for the two parties. The Bruins would benefit by having Lohrei and Kolyachonok thrive.
But if Lohrei still can’t live up to expectations, the Bruins could have a valuable trade chip. A hockey trade could solve the potential blueline logjam for the Bruins. As for a timeline, it’s doubtful anything will happen before the December 20 roster freeze. A more plausible timeline could be around the trade deadline. By then, the Bruins will have had enough time to assess their situation.