Mason Lohrei
Mason Lohrei has not had the greatest stretch in Boston. After a -43 performance last season, Lohrei has turned it around and is currently a + player. In the offseason, Sweeney signed Lohrei to a two-year $6m contract with a $3m average annual value.
The Boston Bruins value defencemen who can play the physical side of the game and are generally responsible in their own end. Lohrei hasn’t lived up to that. This led to a benching by head coach Marco Sturm early in the year. Since then, Lohrei’s play has improved, including some uncharactaristic phyiscal play. But this shouldn’t be enough for Sweeney to keep him. Lohrei doesn’t fit what the Bruins are looking for, and other teams will hold a higher value to him than he has in Boston.
With the recent rumors surrounding Rasmus Anderssson, it will be interesting to see if Lohrei is involved in a deal this season.
Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, Matthew Poitras
While all three of these prospects are at different stages of their careers, one thing is consistent. They all failed to crack this Bruins roster.
Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov need a change-of-scenery trade to give them a better chance to succeed. It’s clear now that they don’t have the two-way game that’s required to play in Boston.
Matthew Poitras had a promising start in Boston during his rookie season, but it ended with a shoulder injury. He’s played in 33 games in back-to-back seasons with the Bruins. Once thought of as a top prospect, Poitras has struggled to beat out UFA signings for a roster spot. With the recently drafted centers, Poitras is likely on the way out. It’s also worth noting that Poitras recently changed his agent.
A Perfect Time To Buy
With a relatively balanced Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins are right in the mix, and with the right, and I stress RIGHT, additions, this team could make noise in the playoffs. After last season’s partial sell-off, Sweeney has five first-round picks in the next 3 seasons and a handful of prospects that don’t seem to be in the future plans. But what players could they realistically obtain?
After missing out on Rasmus Andersson, it was clear Don Sweeney is willing to spend the assets to add long-term solutions to the roster. But, as was shown, he’s going to be principled on what that looks like. Sweeney is rumored to not be interested in a rental and only willing to pony up for a player with term.
So what options could there be for the Bruins?
Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch is on an expiring $4.75m AAV contract in Buffalo, and it doesn’t look like he will re-sign with the team at this time. Since the general manager swap, the Sabres have been on a terrific run that has put them in the playoffs. BUT, if something strange were to happen, maybe there is a hockey trade to make.
Tuch is a 29-year-old, physical winger who has averaged 60 points over the last three seasons in Buffalo. With Tuch’s low cap cost and ability to play top-six minutes, he would be the ideal addition for the Bruins. Boston has the assets to make a deal happen if Buffalo is willing to do business with a divisional rival once more.
While this goes against Sweeney’s want for a long-term fit, Tuch would be a great Bruin.
Jason Robertson
It’s recently been reported that Jason Robertson may be seeking a contract with an AAV of $12m or higher, and the Stars would look to move him if they can’t reach a deal. Robertson is an RFA with arbitration rights.
