The Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins] need to make some moves this summer if they hope to be a more legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference next season. They have multiple roster needs that they must address, with a first-line center and a top-four right-shot defenseman as the most notable. However, with the free-agent market being weak this year, the Bruins may need to make those upgrades through the trade market. Due to this, Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei is continuing to be viewed as a potential trading piece for the Bruins heading into the off-season. In his latest trade board for ESPN [https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/48968493/nhl-2026-offseason-trades-rankings-targets-market-draft-picks-contracts], Greg Wyshynski included Lohrei in his "Change in scenery needed" section. "Lohrei was linked to the Bruins' pursuit of defenseman Rasmus Andersson before Calgary traded him to Vegas," Wyshynski wrote. "GM Don Sweeney said that Lohrei has 'a lot of upside' ... but he also watched the last three games of their first-round series against Buffalo from the press box." Seeing Lohrei continuing to create chatter as a trade candidate is not too difficult to understand. The 25-year-old blueliner has struggled to find his fit with the Bruins and became the odd man out at times this campaign. LOHREI COULD BE VALUABLE TRADING ASSET FOR THE BRUINS TO LAND A BIG UPGRADE When noting that Lohrei is a big offensive defenseman who will be on the right side of 30 for multiple more years, there is no question that he has the potential to generate plenty of interest this summer. Due to this, he could be a valuable trading asset for the Bruins to dangle to try to land a much-needed upgrade to their forward or defensive group. Despite some rough patches this season, Lohrei had a decent 2025-26 campaign. In 73 games, he scored a career-high seven goals and recorded 26 points to go along with a plus-17 rating. He also posted 33 points in 77 games for Boston in 2024-25, so he has shown that he can provide decent offense from the point. This could lead to teams calling. When noting that Lohrei has been a name in the rumor mill for multiple months now, he is certainly a player to keep an eye on this off-season. The 2020 second-round pick is entering the final season of his contract in 2026-27 and is eligible to become a restricted free agent during the 2027 NHL off-season. Thus, if the Bruins do not view him as a long-term part of their plans, now would be the right time to deal him.
