Boston Bruins fans have been waiting for Mason Lohrei to realize his full potential for the last three seasons. The six-foot-five offensive defenseman has all the offensive tools in the world, but a failure to show it on a nightly basis and some shoddy play in his defensive zone have mostly drawn the ire of his coaching staff and fanbase.
When Bruins fans woke up on Saturday morning, most would've predicted that Lohrei wouldn't even be in the lineup for the game against the Chicago Blackhawks. His name was one of the rumored pieces heading the other way in a Rasmus Andersson trade, along with Matthew Poitras and one of the Bruins' first-round draft picks.
Nevertheless, once Andersson played for the Calgary Flames in the afternoon, it was clear that a trade wasn't imminent enough to start sitting players out. It left Lohrei with one more chance to prove he belonged with the Bruins on his 25th birthday. Lo and behold, the offensive defenseman had the first multi-goal game of his career with two crucial shots from the point to help Boston to their sixth-straight win.
My day started with being told Mason Lohrei was getting traded from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames. Instead he remains a member of the #NHLBruins and has celebrated turning 25 today with a 2-goal game. pic.twitter.com/xmKCoPVgrQ
— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) January 18, 2026
It is maddening if you're a Bruins fan. After three years of shaking your head at his defensive play and wondering if he'll ever realize his offensive potential, Lohrei finally breaks out with a monster performance in possibly his last game in a Boston uniform. It's likely too little too late for this game to save his spot with the organization, and that's really unfortunate if this is the start of him becoming a valuable NHLer.
One of Lohrei's main issues is consistent play on a nightly basis. He could easily follow these two goals on Saturday night by failing to find the back of the net for the rest of the season. However, confidence can be a dangerous thing for an offensive defenseman, and this might be the game that settles Lohrei into his role.
It isn't time for Bruins fans to sell their #6 jerseys just yet. There are still some crucial pieces of business to be done between Andersson, the Flames, and the Bruins before a deal is made final. Maybe if this deal falls through, it buys Lohrei the rest of the season to prove that he belongs in black and gold. Still, usually where there's smoke, there's fire, and these Andersson rumors feel too far along not to assume that Saturday night could be Lohrei's best and last performance in a Bruins sweater.