After not having a pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the Bruins made their first selection in Wednesday's second round, taking defenseman Mason Lohrei 58th overall.
It was a surprise selection to say the least, as few seemed to have Lohrei projected to go that high. He was ranked 132nd among North American skaters in Central Scouting's final draft rankings after not appearing on their midseason rankings. He was also eligible to be drafted last year, but wasn't.
The 19-year-old Lohrei (pronounced LOHR-eye) is a left shot and is listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, and he is entering his second full season with the Green Bay Gambler of the United States Hockey League. He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his father was a semi-professional hockey coach, before his family moved to Reading, Pennsylvania, for much of his childhood and then eventually Madison, Wisconsin.
Last season he tied for the USHL lead in assists by a defenseman with 29 -- to go along with eight goals -- in 48 games. He is committed to Ohio State University for the 2021-22 season.
According to Elite Prospects' NHL draft guide, Lohrei's puck carrying stands out as a positive, especially for someone his size.
"Where Lohrei stood out was as a puck-carrier," they write. "His puck skills in small area situations stuck out as a distinct positive in a few instances, particularly for someone of his stature. He's got a snappy wrist shot, with good form and an ability to generate a lot of power with very little movement, suggestive of a really strong upper-body."
Steve Kournianos of TheDraftAnalyst.com similarly praises his poise with the puck, saying he makes good decisions under pressure against the forecheck, often drawing opposing forwards out of position to create transition opportunities.
Kournianos also writes that "passing the puck with precision seems to come naturally for Lohrei," and calls him "a stopper, plain and simple" on defense.
Bruins at 58 draft grab overage defender Mason Lohrei. A little high but totally get it. Read the report. This kid has an incredibly high panic threshold. Heavy but nimble; very high hockey IQ. Future OSU Buckeye. pic.twitter.com/oauN51OLiK
— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) October 7, 2020
On a Zoom call with the media, Lohrei said he wasn't too surprised to be picked by the Bruins when he was, revealing that he had some good conversations with Boston, including a 35- or 40-minute phone call with general manager Don Sweeney over the summer.
Lohrei and the Bruins also already had one connection in Jake Schmaltz, Lohrei's roommate at Green Bay who was selected by the Bruins in the seventh round last year.
Asked to describe his game, Lohrei said he considers himself to be a two-way defenseman and takes pride in his defensive play.
"I consider myself a two-way defenseman," Lohrei said. "Pretty skilled. I take a lot of pride in how I defend, how I defend the rush, defend in my own zone, shutting things down, making good breakout passes. Once that happens, then the fun stuff begins. I get to jump up in the play, get pucks back, use my skill. I see myself as I can play in all situations, 5-on-5, power play, penalty kill, stuff like that, start games, finish games."
Lohrei acknowledged that getting stronger and more physical is one area he still needs to work on, and is something he talked about in his conversations with the Bruins.
"Definitely physical play," he said. "I've been getting bigger and stronger. I've been pretty raw my whole life. Starting to fill out and things are coming together, but definitely just that physical side of the game, being able to throw hits and separate body from the puck. That's just going to help with everything else."
Lohrei said there isn't really one current NHL player he models his game after, but that he enjoys watching and learning from several talented young defensemen in the league, including Boston's Charlie McAvoy.
"I wouldn't necessarily say there's one guy I model my game after, but I do love watching a lot of the young guys in the league, a lot of young defensemen," Lohrei said. "Just taking things from their game. Guys I watch pretty much any time they're playing is [Rasmus] Dahlin, [Quinn] Hughes, [Cale] Makar. I like [Travis] Sanheim in Philadelphia. I like watching McAvoy, [Mikhail] Sergachev, all those guys. Just taking little bits and pieces and trying to apply that to my game."
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In addition to the Bruins making a pick, there were a few other local ties in the second round as well.
Northeastern freshman and Stoneham native Sam Colangelo went 36th overall to the Anaheim Ducks. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound right wing played for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League last season, registering 28 goals and 30 assists in 44 games. He played three seasons at Lawrence Academy before that.
Then a pair of Boston University freshmen went back-to-back at 46 and 47. First the Blackhawks took goalie Drew Commesso, a Norwell native who played at St. Sebastian's School before joining the U.S. National Team Development Program. Then the Canadiens took left wing Luke Tuch, who is the younger brother of Vegas Golden Knights forward (and Boston College alum) Alex Tuch.
