Down the Frozen River

Tag: Mason Lohrei

  • Yikes! O.K. maybe a little overreaction

    Thursday night’s, 4-1, loss by the Boston Bruins against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center was a lot worse than Tuesday night’s, 2-1, loss in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes.

    Playing well against the good teams (Carolina), even if you ultimately lose (and are outshot) is a good sign of growth in a youth movement.

    Playing like whatever that was in St. Louis, however, is not.

    Shots on goal and giveaways were both pretty even through 40 minutes, until Boston had a, 14-2, advantage in shots in the third period alone.

    But by then, one of St. Louis’ two shots on net in the final frame hit the back of the twine for a Blues power-play goal– giving them a three-goal lead and their fourth unanswered goal of the night after Boston opened the scoring back in the first period.

    Something about Boston’s play looked worse all night.

    They weren’t forcing the play. They weren’t pressuring St. Louis’ offense in the defensive zone when they maybe should have (see, Robert Thomas’ goal).

    They were just sloppy.

    Is it concerning if a team plays sloppy this early into the season? Sure. Could it just be that they’re figuring out the rhythm of an 84-game season, so they’re going to have a night like this– possibly a stretch? Also yeah.

    Again, the Bruins are not Stanley Cup contenders this season and we’re not even technically sure if they’ll be a playoff team, despite entering Thursday first in the Atlantic Division.

    The B’s are now 9-4-1 overall with 19 points– one point ahead of the 8-3-2 Montréal Canadiens.

    Remember, the Detroit Red Wings were “a lock” for the 2026 postseason by about December last year. And then what happened?

    If anything, Thursday night’s game in St. Louis was all the more reason why the Bruins shouldn’t be aggressive to add a piece that will barely move the needle but give the appearance of a “win now” team.

    This is a two-to-three year process and (depending on if you started counting in 2024-25 or 2025-26) they’re still not out of the overhaul yet.

    Last season’s playoff appearance for the B’s could’ve been a fluke, but it raises the expectations for consistent improvement overall.

    As for the one lineup change…

    No, Connor Clifton replacing Frédéric Brunet for a game (or two, even, if Marco Sturm leaves Clifton in for Saturday’s home matinée against the Chicago Blackhawks) is not a punishment.

    Unlike Nikita Zadorov‘s discipline struggles from time-to-time in his Boston tenure (see, “finding the right time for heavy hockey” and “how to avoid crossing the line” for more), Brunet is a young, first-year full-time NHL defender.

    Brunet is going to have a bad game every now and then.

    Honestly, it’s not a bad idea for young defenders in the NHL to get a look at the game from the press box once in a while.

    Call it an “observation game” if you will, since learning by observing is one of the many ways people learn.

    The further away from the ice that you sit, the more you can see how plays develop and start to understand– from observation alone– the differences between NHL and AHL action, plus where defensive positioning should be applied and how things go wrong when they go wrong.

    It’s a good mental reset and as long as you haven’t completely lost your coach’s confidence, you’ll be back in the next game or two, ready to contribute.

    I’d be more concerned if someone like Will Borgen regressed to the point of needing an “observation game”, since he’s had more than enough NHL experience by now– he should know the game.

    Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brunet plays around 69 games (barring injury) this season given the number of games he sat out as a healthy scratch to start the year and (roughly) how many more potential “observation games” he might experience.

    But if you want more recent young Bruins defender examples:

    Johnny Boychuk played in 51 games in 2009-10, then 69 games in the 2010-11 season with Boston after working his way up from Providence.

    He was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2nd round (61st overall) in 2002. He made his NHL debut with the Avs in the 2007-08 season two weeks shy of turning 24.

    Boychuk was 27 when he won the Cup in 2011. Brunet is only 23.

    Dougie Hamilton was the 9th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft and spent one more year in junior hockey with the Niagara IceDogs (OHL) for 2011-12, before participating in 42 out of the lockout shortened 48-game 2012-13 season for Boston.

    Kevan Miller only played in 47 games in his first full season in 2013-14 (he spent 19 games in Providence that year as well and, no, I didn’t look up if he missed any time due to injury, but probably).

    Torey Krug was slowly implemented prior to his first full NHL season with a pair of games in Boston in 2011-12, one game during the 2012-13 season (before fully emerging as the offensive defender that he was in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs) and 79 games in 2013-14.

    After finishing his time at Ohio State, Mason Lohrei played five games with Providence in 2022-23, and 21 games with Providence the following year while making an impression in 41 games with Boston in 2023-24.

    Lohrei was a full-time NHL player– playing in 77 games– in 2024-25, and through his ups and downs last season still managed 73 games.

    Miller (Vermont), Krug (Michigan State) and Lohrei played college hockey before spending time in Providence while rising to the NHL ranks. Lohrei, however, was the only one of the aforementioned trio to be drafted– having been selected in the 2nd round (58th overall) by Boston in 2020.

    Now for some positives(?):

    Morgan Geekie has one goal this season (Oct. 8th in a, 6-1, win against the Utah Mammoth). He’s off to a slow start, but we’ve seen this before. Some players are just like that– I call them “second-half of the season players.”

    David Krejčí got better as the season went on like that.

    I’m not saying Geekie is like Krejčí, but rather that anytime Geekie would like to score again would be more than welcome– even if it’s not nearly at the rate he’ll eventually start scoring by the midpoint of the season.

    Now, that’s not to say I’m in agreement with Dom Luszczyszyn at The Athletic‘s latest takeaways about the Bruins as a whole. Sure, the underlying analytics look good…. For now.

    There’s some cracks that will need addressing, but they’re overarching goals to be reached in one or two years from now, really.

    Speaking of goals, however, James Hagens scored in Thursday night’s action. It may have been the only goal that Boston scored, but Hagens is now on pace for 30 this season.

    That’s probably a bit much for the first-year NHL forward, but never say never.

    If Hagens can get to the 15-20 range, that’s still a solid first season.

    In the meantime, something has got to be done about the special teams– specifically the penalty kill. It might be a problem.

  • No, you’re overreacting!

    With first place in the entire league on the line, one team showed why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champion while the other… …showed why they’re somehow here when you least expected it.

    The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins, 2-1, at Lenovo Center Tuesday night in Raleigh, but admit it, you’re enjoying the ride, aren’t you?

    Boston’s eight-game point streak came to an end, but somehow they’re 9-3-1 to start the season and remain in command of first place in the Atlantic Division.

    Carolina, meanwhile, showed their patented game of calculations and patience that drives opponents insane and suppresses shots against in such a way that even Martin Brodeur would be jealous.

    After all, Brodeur played in an era before shots on goal were reviewed with a fine-toothed comb in light of sports gambling’s (legal) existence and the many, many parlays that depend an the accurate shot count.

    Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski be damned, the official scorer is now your greatest defender.

    Anyway, Shayne Gostisbehere had one blocked shot, Jalen Chatfield blocked two, Juuso Välimäki blocked one, K’Andre Miller stood in front of two, Sean Walker blocked three and Jaccob Slavin blocked two.

    Even if Boston had gotten those 11 shot attempts through to Pyotr Kochetkov, they still would’ve trailed in the total shot count.

    Carolina outshot Boston, 30-15, including a, 12-7, advantage in the first period, an, 8-2, advantage in the second period and a, 10-6, advantage in the third period.

    Standing around and letting your opponent force the play is a signature component to why the Hurricanes are successful.

    The Bruins were making too many pass attempts and forced passes that Carolina had no issue picking them off– intentional or otherwise.

    And when the B’s started carrying the puck midway through the final frame it proved costly.

    It wasn’t a great night for the defensive pairing of Mason Lohrei and Frédéric Brunet. It’s an 84-game season, not every one of them is going to be a winner.

    The hope is that Brunet uses this poor performance as motivation to learn and do better in the next game.

    Alternatively, Bruins head coach, Marco Sturm, could use Tuesday night as a reason to rotate Connor Clifton or Jonathan Aspirot back into the lineup Thursday night in St. Louis. Perhaps both even.

    Lohrei held the puck in the offensive zone for too long– passing and shooting opportunities went by the wayside– and he promptly turned it over while corralling the puck in the slot, leading to a rush the other way for the Hurricanes.

    William Carrier skated through the neutral zone with ease, moved the puck to Andrei Svechnikov to his right, then Brunet pinched while Svechnikov let go of an easy backhand pass to beat Boston’s defense.

    Carrier nearly got a touch on it as Lohrei– while overcompensating to get back and defend the play– made the decision to sprawl out and sweep the passing lane– completely missing the puck in the process.

    Sebastian Aho had no trouble ricocheting the rubber biscuit with a backhand off the post, off Jeremy Swayman and in on the high-danger scoring conversion.

    All in all, just that kind of night for Boston. Frustrating, sure, but a good reminder that the Bruins are not close to contending for the Cup and still have 71 more games left in the regular season before any potential playoff action. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

    Stick to the plan.

    Now for the positives:

    Pavel Zacha had a power-play goal to kick things off 1:31 into the first period. Great!

    The power play went 1/5 on the night. While you’d like to have seen them convert on one or two more skater advantages, going 1/5 is better than going 0/5 (or 0/4 like how the Hurricanes did in Tuesday’s contest).

    Elias Lindholm had the primary assist on Zacha’s goal and now has a three-game point streak (1-3–4 totals) and points in four out of his last five games (2-3–5 totals).

    David Pastrňák had the secondary assist and now has a three-game point streak as well (3-3–6 totals) and points in four out of his last five games (4-4–8 totals).

    Swayman made 28 saves on 30 shots faced– good enough for a .933 save percentage in the game and his seventh quality start in 10 games this season.

    Despite dropping to a 7-2-1 record, Swayman has a 2.19 goals-against average and a .921 SV% on the season.

    And to steal a phrase from Canes head coach, Rod Brind’Amour, “that game was closer than you think.”

    No, but seriously, the first period looked promising in terms of the “can they keep up with a real contender” aspect, then the rest of the night was just overthinking and inexperience.

    Matthew Poitras may have missed an open net and rang the post a couple of times, but getting breakouts, showing a solid backhand shot and creating chances helped showcase that he is a certified fourth line forward.

    There are going to be other nights.

  • (Way too) Early season Bruins thoughts

    The 2026-27 NHL season is almost a month old and as of this writing, the Boston Bruins sit second in the entire league with a 9-2-1 record (19 points) through 12 games. They take on the defending Stanley Cup champion, Carolina Hurricanes– who sit first in the league at 9-2-2 (20 points) through 13 games– Tuesday night in Raleigh.

    Though it’s still early in the season, there’s a lot to look forward to and a lot of “they should probably stay the course, shouldn’t they?” to keep in mind.

    After eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the 2024 First Round before losing to the Florida Panthers in six games in the 2024 Second Round, the Bruins’ inevitable collapse in the post-Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí center-depth era commenced with a 28th place finish in the overall standings in 2024-25.

    General manager, Don Sweeney, dealt Brad Marchand to the Panthers, Brandon Carlo to the Maple Leafs and Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche at that season’s trade deadline as part of a larger selloff that sent Trent Frederic to the Edmonton Oilers and Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild in the buildup to the 2025 deadline itself.

    But then Boston rebounded and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026, after finishing eighth in the 2025-26 overall standings– good enough for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and ultimately a six-game First Round exit at the hands of the Atlantic Division-winning Buffalo Sabres.

    Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov emerged as promising young forwards throughout last season after being components in the Carlo and Brazeau trades.

    Minten has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 12 games thus far in 2026-27, while Khusnutdinov isn’t far behind with 3-3–6 totals in that same 12-game span. They’ve both played up the lineup in a pinch due to injuries or whenever Bruins head coach, Marco Sturm, makes in-game adjustments to try to spark some offense.

    Because of Boston’s own shortcomings in 2024-25, the Bruins ended up with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

    The B’s lucked out by selecting James Hagens after Hagens’ draft stock tumbled from “potential first overall pick” in 2025, to “somewhere in the top-10.” Hagens didn’t live up to expectations in his jump from the U.S. National Development Program to Boston College while others– like Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa– became clear-cut favorites.

    In 12 games so far this season, however, Hagens has nine points (four goals, five assists) and has established himself as an early contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year.

    He also has 16 blocked shots, so at this point he might be chasing Bergeron’s NHL-record six Frank J. Selke Trophy awards as the “best defensive forward.”

    Not to put any pressure or anything on the 19-year-old that turns 20 on Nov. 3rd.

    In the meantime, Boston has also had contributions from Matthew Poitras (4-3–7 totals in nine games since becoming the regular fourth line center) and Frédéric Brunet (1-3–4 totals in nine games while emerging as a power play quarterback on the blue line) as the youth movement has seen surprising returns.

    Nobody expected the Bruins to be leading the league in goal differential with 48 goals for and 26 goals against (a plus-22 differential), though last year’s Vezina finalist, Jeremy Swayman, and this year’s backup, Michael DiPietro, may have a say in the matter.

    Swayman is 7-1-1 in nine games (nine starts) with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and one shutout. Not to be outdone, but DiPietro is 2-1-0 in three games (three starts) with a 1.69 GAA, a .941 SV% and one shutout as well.

    Oh, and, yes, David Pastrňák still exists.

    He’s the captain now and not only leads the team behind closed doors– though anyone in Boston’s dressing room will tell you they lead by committee– but also leads the club with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 12 games.

    Pastrňák (427 goals in 845 games from 2014-present) is one goal away from surpassing Bergeron (427 goals in 1,294 games from 2003-23) for sole-possession of the third-most goals in Bruins franchise history.

    Offseason acquisition in a trade with the Utah Mammoth, JJ Peterka, has made an impact too with 4-5–9 totals in 12 games.

    Additionally, Elias Lindholm looks a lot more comfortable knowing he doesn’t have to be the first line center and can simply play his game by fitting in on the third line and contributing on the power play with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 12 games.

    That’s all fine and dandy, though there’s still 72 games left in the regular season and lot to consider long-term.

    So now let’s try to answer some questions you might have about the B’s and NHL at large.

    What should the Bruins do with Pavel Zacha?

    Pavel Zacha is back to centering the first line flanked by Peterka and Pastrňák on his wings and despite only having two goals in 11 games this season, Zacha doesn’t look out of place.

    He’s on pace for 49 points this season, which would be down from his career-high 65 points in 78 games last year.

    Zacha has become a pretty consistent near or above 50-point scorer in a Bruins uniform since he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Erik Haula prior to the 2022-23 season.

    There’s no denying that Zacha has played his best hockey in Boston. He’s become a fan favorite in the awkward transition from Bergeron and Krejčí’s Bruins to Pastrňák, Charlie McAvoy and Swayman’s Bruins.

    But with this season being a contract year and a $4.750 million cap hit, Zacha is the biggest blue chip the Bruins have that could make an immediate impact on another NHL roster that’s looking to bolster their lineup for a Cup run.

    Boston is by no means out of the woods from their retool.

    You aren’t a de facto Stanley Cup contender until you at least make the Conference Final round a year prior to the current season and you haven’t successfully completed a rebuild or retool (or whatever you want to call it) until you’ve at least made it to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

    The Bruins– since they hit the “reset” button in 2024-25– have only made the postseason in 2026, and lost in the First Round.

    It does not make sense to add any major components that would help them present themselves as being in “win now” mode when they actually aren’t, contrary to how nice it would be to see Pastrňák accepting the Cup in June.

    Minten, Hagens and Poitras are shaping up to be the future of Boston’s center depth with Minten and Hagens auditioning for first or second line roles to Poitras’ third line center presence.

    Dean Letourneau and Will Zellers are on their way after they’re both done playing college hockey.

    The Bruins could use Zacha to shore up another top-six winger– whether that’s a current NHL player (like Peterka) or another young, NHL ready prospect on the verge of a burgeoning career (a potential first line center, winger or otherwise in the next two or three years).

    Boston isn’t going to contend for the Cup this season or possibly next season, but by trading Zacha and getting younger players and draft picks, they can help keep their own cupboards full of potential as the rest of the roster starts translating their potential into kinetic energy.

    Re-signing Zacha at $9.000 million or more per season is a risky move considering Elias Lindholm already exists as your one token “this won’t age well 30 or older” contract.

    Though, if you’re able to move on from that one as well at some point, all the power to you and kudos.

    What about Casey Mittelstadt?

    Casey Mittelstadt is a little easier to answer despite the fact that he’s also on pace for 49 points this season and is a pending-unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

    Mittelstadt is two years younger than Zacha. He’s 27.

    He’s also probably not commanding that much more than his current $5.750 million cap hit on his next deal which, unlike Zacha, is probably a more acceptable three or four years at most.

    Boston could lock up Mittelstadt through the rest of his NHL prime and only face a slight pay raise in the process.

    Mittelstadt plays an important role on the third line and is much better as a wing than as a center as he’s rejuvenated his career in Boston after his production fell from 59 points in 82 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23, to 57 points in 80 games combined with the Sabres and Colorado Avalanche in 2023-24, to just 40 points in 81 games with the Avalanche and Bruins in 2024-25.

    Last season he had 42 points in 71 games.

    He probably won’t have more than that from here on out and that’s not bad for a third line winger that could potentially drop down to the fourth line as Boston’s youth movement climbs the ladder.

    By that point, the Bruins would just be hoping that Mittelstadt is able to get 20 or more points in a season.

    And that’s assuming he signs a four-year extension and becomes the next Sean Kuraly.

    Realistically, a player of Mittelstadt’s caliber won’t command more than $7.000 million per season in the new NHL with player salaries skyrocketing this offseason and the salary cap expected to continue climbing.

    Compared to Zacha, Mittelstadt wouldn’t be doubling his current cap hit and gives Sweeney plenty of space to tend to other matters like re-signing his two biggest pending-restricted free agents in Poitras and Mason Lohrei, while giving himself enough room to make a trade or sign some depth pieces and leave cap space for in-season action in 2027-28.

    It feels like there’s mutual interest in continuing the symbiotic relationship that Mittelstadt and the Bruins have developed, whereas Zacha could be in a Michael Ryder in 2011, type of situation.

    Wait, what about Mason Lohrei? You wouldn’t trade him?

    At this point, no.

    Lohrei is off to a good start this season with five points in 12 games. He’s on pace for 35 points which would establish a career-high for the 25-year-old Louisiana native.

    By now, he is what he is and that’s not necessarily a bad thing so long as he can remain as a steady second or third pairing defender long-term.

    His current cap hit is $3.200 million and prior to the Philadelphia Flyers signing Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet with an $18 million cap hit that sent a shockwave around the league in player salaries, Lohrei probably wouldn’t be getting more than $4.500 to $5.000 million on whatever his next deal looks like.

    Now, of course, he might land (at most) in the $6.500 to $7.500 million cap hit range after asking for something crazy like an $8.000 million cap hit, but that’s assuming he hits his mark in point-pace and goes above and beyond in his defensive elements that have otherwise plagued him thus far.

    Unless the Bruins find a way to get Simon Edvinsson from the Detroit Red Wings– which would likely mean including Lohrei and more in the hypothetical trade– any sort of move coming from the blue line is probably one in which Boston finds a trading partner to extend the NHL career of Henri Jokiharju who is currently buried in Providence (AHL).

    Speaking of Detroit…

    It’s probably a good thing that Dylan Larkin is not interested in a trade with the Boston Bruins at this point.

    Sure, he would immediately become a first line center with Peterka and Pastrňák on his wings, but isn’t that just what got Detroit into this problem in the first place?

    Larkin needs to be dealt to the type of roster where he can just “fit in”– both in the literal “NHL players don’t like to stand out and are boring” sense and in a manner similar to how Nathan Horton played really well for the Bruins after being acquired from the Panthers prior to the 2010-11 season.

    Neither Larkin nor Horton are true first line talent, but in the right situation or by simply being demoted to a second or third line on a Cup contending team they can just play their game and contribute to the overarching depth in scoring and roster construction.

    Besides, if you’re going to potentially package Zacha, Lohrei and more, you should be acquiring Edvinsson and a draft pick or two for good measure as part of the two or three-year plan to return to Cup contention.

  • Breaking down the Rasmus Andersson trade

    Rasmus Andersson is on the move.

    The Calgary Flames traded the 29-year-old defender to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday evening in exchange for defender Zach Whitecloud, the rights to unsigned defensive prospect Abram Wiebe, a 2027 1st round pick (top-10 protected) and a conditional 2028 2nd round pick that can become a 2028 1st round pick if the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup this season.

    Calgary already owns Vegas’ 2026 1st round pick from a prior trade.

    The Flames retained 50% of Andersson’s salary in this transaction, so Andersson will carry a $2.275 million cap hit against Vegas’ total salary cap as the trade deadline looms March 6th.

    TSN”s Darren Dreger broke the news of the trade before Sportsnet‘s Elliotte Friedman filled in the details of the return.

    There is no extension for Andersson as part of the trade.

    Dating back to last season, Vegas had always been an attractive destination for Andersson with his current contract set to expire this summer.

    Now, the Golden Knights can do what they’ve already done before when they acquired Noah Hanifin from the Flames in March 2024– they can sign Andersson to an extension anytime between now and July 1st like how they did with Hanifin about a month after acquiring him.

    Despite not ending up with the player, the Boston Bruins played a large part in the facilitation of Andersson’s trade to the Golden Knights.

    A source close to the Flames indicated that the Bruins had received permission to discuss an extension while working on the potential trade and had an agreement in place with Andersson on an extension late Saturday night. Boston’s general manager, Don Sweeney, would not budge, however, from his offer of Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras and a 1st round pick as part of the return to Calgary.

    This source also previously indicated a roster player from Vegas and a 2nd round pick as part of the initial offer that Kelly McCrimmon had made to the Flames at one point prior to the widespread report of Boston’s offer making the rounds on the Internet.

    It is reasonable to believe that Calgary’s general manager, Craig Conroy, used both offers he had received to sweeten the deal in the return for Andersson.

    McCrimmon ended up offering an additional pick and the rights to an unsigned prospect regardless of an extension, thereby meeting Calgary’s demands that Boston was unwilling to match with or without assuring themselves of locking up Andersson long-term as a Bruin.

    Sweeney’s front office had some qualms with Conroy’s asking price to begin with and Boston wasn’t going to execute a trade without Andersson extended.

    98.5 The Sports Hub‘s Ty Anderson, a Bruins beat reporter, noted that Boston had some internal debate regarding whether or not the Bruins should part with one of their next four first round picks in the potential trade for Andersson (the now former Calgary defender turned Golden Knight, not Ty).

    Boston remains intent on adding where they are able to do so approaching this year’s deadline. The Bruins are also aware that they are more likely than not closer to where Calgary is at in terms of the playoff picture– looking on from the outside in.

    Bruins management does not want to risk their future with a solid core of David Pastrňák, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman leading rising stars like Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov as well as collegiate prospects, James Hagens, Will Zellers and Dean Letourneau fast approaching the NHL level.

    In the end, Vegas gets the defender they want for a potential Cup run and the Flames get Whitecloud, Wiebe and potentially two more of the Golden Knights’ first round picks to add to their stockpile.

    Having now acquired Andersson, Vegas is believed to begin negotiations on an extension as soon as possible. The Golden Knights had not received permission to speak with Andersson prior to the trade, unlike Boston.

    What Andersson brings to Vegas

    Rasmus Andersson is a 29-year-old native of Malmö, Sweden and has 10-19–29 totals in 47 games with the Flames this season.

    The 6’1″, 202-pound, right-shot defender was originally drafted by Calgary in the 2nd round (53rd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft and later made his NHL debut with the Flames in the 2016-17 season, recording 18:33 time on ice in San Jose on April 8, 2017.

    He matched his career-high in goals last season (11) in 81 games compared to the 79 games that it took in 2022-23. Andersson had a career-high 46 assists in 82 games with the Flames in 2021-22, and went on to produce a career-high 50 points and plus-30 rating that season as well.

    After a dismal minus-38 rating in 81 games last season in Calgary, Andersson has rebounded to a plus-1 rating in 47 games prior to being traded to Vegas.

    Andersson has 57 goals and 203 assists (260 points) in 583 career NHL games with the Flames and 7-7–14 totals in 27 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

    He is averaging 24:12 time on ice this season and is likely to reunite with former Flames teammate, Noah Hanifin, on Vegas’ second defensive pairing and have a little more of a reserved role with the Golden Knights.

    What Whitecloud brings to Calgary

    Zach Whitecloud is a 29-year-old native of Brandon, Manitoba and has 2-5–7 totals in 47 games with the Golden Knights this season.

    The 6’2″, 210-pound, right-shot defensive defender was undrafted and originally signed as a free agent with Vegas on March 8, 2018.

    Whitecloud made his NHL debut about a month later against the Edmonton Oilers on April 5, 2018, and was a plus-three in 16:42 time on ice.

    He has averaged 17:44 per game in 368 career NHL games (all with Vegas) and was a member of the 2023 Stanley Cup-winning Golden Knights team. Whitecloud has 23 goals and 55 assists (78 points) in his regular season career, while adding 5-12–17 totals in 78 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

    He carries a $2.750 million cap hit through 2027-28.

    What’s up with Abram Wiebe?

    An unsigned prospect in his third season with North Dakota, Abram Wiebe is a 22-year-old, 6’3″, 209-pound left-shot defender. The Mission, British Columbia native has 3-11–14 totals in 24 games with the Fighting Hawks this season and was originally drafted by the Golden Knights in the 7th round (209th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

    He is currently listed as an alternate captain for his NCAA intercollegiate club and had previously served as the captain of the Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) in 2022-23.

    He had 1-9–10 totals in 40 games as a freshman with North Dakota in 2023-24, and 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 38 games in his sophomore season.

  • The waiting game in Calgary

    As you may already be aware, the Calgary Flames are trading Rasmus Andersson. The Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights remain the favorites in a four-team bidding war, while the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs remain linked.

    Last night, Elliotte Friedman reported on Sportsnet that the Bruins have been allowed to engage in conversation on an extension with Andersson as part of the frameworks of a potential transaction between Boston and Calgary.

    To reiterate, the Bruins’ current offer– and best available to the Flames currently on the table— is only if Andersson agrees to and signs an extension with Boston.

    Meanwhile, one of the major components expected in return for Andersson, Mason Lohrei, scored a pair of goals in Boston’s, 5-2, comeback win Saturday night in Chicago. It’s the first of a two-game road trip for the Bruins with a stop in Dallas coming up Tuesday night before returning home to host Vegas on Thursday.

    It’s also a siblings’ road trip (similar to moms’ and dad’s trips around the league) for Boston while Saturday also happened to be Lohrei’s birthday too.

    The business of professional sports sacrifices birthdays, holidays and more, but that’s understood as “just part of the industry.” What’s not usually part of the business is for a team to ruin the mood for everyone involved during a special outing like Boston’s siblings’ trip.

    That might influence the timeline of the expected outcome if the Bruins are favored by the Flames, Andersson and his agent, as well as Lohrei and his respective parties (agent and sibling).

    Neither Andersson, nor Lohrei were withheld from their respective lineups as Andersson registered an assist in Calgary’s, 4-2, win on home ice Saturday afternoon against the New York Islanders.

    Had both players been kept out of the action– preserved in fear of an untimely injury that would otherwise negate a trade– that would’ve been a dead giveaway regarding the likely winner of the Andersson sweepstakes.

    Of course, Vegas could’ve held someone out of Saturday night’s, 7-2, win against the Nashville Predators, but it wouldn’t have been likely that all three teams would’ve sat one or more players in their respective organizations that are potentially on the move as an insurance policy.

    If Andersson won’t agree to an extension as part of the proposed trade with Boston and Calgary won’t make a deal with Vegas, then the Flames will have to pivot to a potential move with Dallas or Toronto.

    Craig Conroy and his front office executives in the Flames organization hold a lot of leverage over the outcome of this transaction, even if Andersson believes he is more inclined on going to Vegas should an extension not get done with the Bruins.

    Andersson has a modified no-trade clause that includes a six-team no-trade list per PuckPedia as part of his current contract that expires after this season.

    Unless Andersson has a personal beef with a city like Dallas or Toronto, it’s hard to conceive that– should the Flames not get something done with Boston or Vegas– the 29-year-old defender wouldn’t end up in either of those organizations.

    Calgary is back in action Monday night as the Flames host the New Jersey Devils.

    Meanwhile, Lohrei’s impressive effort in Boston’s five unanswered goal-comeback victory over the Blackhawks could have been enough to make Bruins general manager, Don Sweeney, reconsider his offer to the Flames.

    It could have also helped Sweeney market Lohrei to other potential suitors in the event Andersson does not agree to an extension and this potential trade falls through and Boston remains set on moving their 25-year-old defender.

  • Rasmus Andersson and a few scenarios

    Rasmus Andersson will be traded. When and where remains to be resolved.

    The 29-year-old Calgary Flames defender is more likely than not to be dealt in the next 24-48 hours per a source and if his postgame wave to the crowd at Scotiabank Saddledome, high-fives and hugs from Jonathan Huberdeau, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee and others are any indication, he has likely played his final game as a Flame in Saturday’s, 4-2, victory over the New York Islanders.

    Andersson had one assist and was a plus-two rating in 25:40 time on ice, while recording two shots and two blocked shots in the win.

    In 48 games with Calgary this season, he has 10 goals and 20 assists (30 points) and a plus-three rating– one point shy from his 11-20–31 totals and up from a minus-38 rating in 82 games last season with the Flames.

    Four teams are in the running for acquiring Andersson’s services including the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and one more team from the Eastern Conference.

    None of my sources have been able to pinpoint whether the remaining team in the bidding process is the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs or another unnamed team in the conference.

    The Red Wings are believed to be buyers approaching this season’s trade deadline on March 6th, while the Leafs hold the familiarity factor if you subscribe to the theory that National Hockey League general managers only ever try to (re-)acquire players they’re had in their possession before.

    Brad Treliving was previously Calgary’s general manager from 2014-23, before Don Maloney held the interim title for about a month prior to Craig Conroy‘s hiring on May 23, 2023. Treliving was later hired by Toronto on May 31, 2023.

    Andersson was originally drafted by the Flames with the 53rd overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and later made his league debut during the 2016-17 season prior to becoming a full-time NHL defender in 2018-19.

    He has 261 points (57 goals, 204 assists) in 584 games (all with the Flames).

    What are the Boston Bruins thinking?

    Sources close to the Flames and Bruins have overlapped on the big components of a potential deal that would see Andersson swapping out his red and yellow sweater for the black and gold.

    Boston is offering Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras and a 1st round pick in exchange for Andersson with at least one condition attached to the 1st round pick.

    One of the big sticking points, however, for any deal involving the Bruins is that Boston’s general manager, Don Sweeney, needs to have Andersson signed to an extension as part of the trade.

    Andersson would likely yield a cap hit around the $8.000-8.500 million range on his next contract, but neither sources have indicated what the length of the extension would be.

    One caveat of any long-term extension for Andersson is the fact that he will turn 30 on Oct. 27th, which means there’s a good chance that if Boston acquires Andersson, they’ll add a certified right shot defender that will slide in on their second pairing and be committed to his spot on the roster through his late prime and early twilight of his playing career.

    It’s fair to ask if including a 1st round pick in the transaction is a steep price to pay. Certainly, if Andersson won’t commit to an extension with the Bruins, then Boston would be unwise to leave their best offer as the final offer on the table.

    For an organization that finally adopted the best draft policy in 2025 (take the best available player at each selection), it’d be wise for the B’s to stay the course and continue to stock their prospect cupboard, while selling pieces as the 2026 trade deadline approaches– playoff race be damned.

    That’d mean that a 1st round pick should be a non-starter, regardless of the fact that Boston potentially has four 1st round picks in the next two seasons. The Bruins previously acquired a top-five protected 2026 1st round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in last year’s Brandon Carlo trade and a conditional pick that converted into a 2027 1st round pick from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Brad Marchand.

    If that’s too many words for you, remember this– Boston has their own 2026 and 2027 1st round picks, plus they have Toronto’s 2026 1st round pick (unless the Leafs win the lottery and end up selecting anywhere from 1st through 5th overall) and Florida’s 2027 1st round pick (unless one of the Panthers’ previous transactions renders them unable to keep their 2027 1st round pick, in which case the Bruins will own Florida’s 2028 1st round pick).

    The Bruins don’t have to use all four of those picks, but they’d be smart to yield the maximum return on their potential value.

    Trading for an aging veteran defender, while giving up 25-year-old, Mason Lohrei, and 21-year-old, Matthew Poitras, in the process means there’s too much value exiting Boston’s organization– even if the majority of it is in their system currently and residing in future value.

    The Bruins already have their work cut out for them in turning over aging prospects in Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov and have yet to see what current college hockey stars, James Hagens, Will Zellers, Dean Letourneau and Will Moore will bring to their organizational depth among the NHL and AHL rosters.

    On the other hand, trading for Andersson addresses a need that the Bruins have now, solidifies their lineup for the near future and presents Boston with the opportunity to continue to attract talent as a desired destination– so long as head coach, Marco Sturm, gets the most out of his players and makes the playoffs from year-to-year.

    Moving on from Lohrei

    Mason Lohrei is under contract through the 2026-27 season at an affordable $3.200 million cap hit, but it’s not known whether he wants to stay in Boston long-term, nor if the Bruins desire to keep him around that long either.

    He had been scratched earlier this season while struggling to adapt to Sturm’s player-on-player coverage and was a league-worst minus-43 in 77 games last season, despite recording career-best totals with five goals, 28 assists and 33 points in that span.

    Lohrei averaged 16:57 in 41 games in 2023-24, but was thrust into top-pairing minutes for long stretches last season– averaging 19:32 per game– due to Boston’s battered blue line while Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm missed time.

    Despite only being 25-years-old, Lohrei should be entering his prime right now and taking command of a top-four spot on Boston’s defense, yet he’s struggled with elements of his defensive game– losing battles and turning the puck over at inopportune moments, rendering him to third pairing minutes from night-to-night.

    If the Bruins are unsure of what they have in Lohrei, unsure of their mutual long-term plans and compatibility or want to take advantage of the fact that 31 other NHL teams would gladly take a player like Lohrei for his offensive upside, they should capitalize on his trade value.

    As it is, Lohrei is on pace for another 33-point season and matched his career-high in goals (five) with the tying goal in the second period of Saturday night’s game in Chicago– his 44th game of the season compared to his five goals in 77 games last season.

    Moving on from Poitras

    Matthew Poitras had an impressive stint in his first five career NHL games during Boston’s Centennial season in 2023-24, but wasn’t able to sustain the momentum before tallying just 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 33 games prior to an injury that shut him down for the rest of the season.

    The following year, the 5’11” or 6’0″ (depending on who you ask), 189-pound right shot center had just one goal and 10 assists (11 points) in yet another 33-game span in 2024-25, amidst injury, reassignment and concerns due to his small stature in spite of his offseason bulk.

    Poitras made Boston’s NHL roster out of training camp for the second consecutive season, but missed the first game of the year due to a lingering injury.

    After playing in 14 out of the first 16 games last season, Poitras was reassigned to the Providence Bruins on Nov. 11, 2024, and later made his AHL debut before amassing 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 23 games with Providence prior to being recalled by Boston.

    Upon reinsertion in Boston’s lineup, Poitras recorded an assist in a, 6-2, win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 14, 2025, and remained a pretty consistent component of the Bruins’ lineup through March 6th.

    He had one goal and three assists with Boston in 14 games prior to being sent down and just seven assists after his call-up in 19 games thereafter.

    The acquisitions of Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov rendered a reevaluation of Boston’s depth charts. The ensuing emergence of the short statured Khusnutdinov combined with his speed and chemistry with a skilled player like David Pastrňák left No. 92 with a more favorable image compared to Poitras’ game.

    Khusnutdinov could hold onto the puck, while Poitras could lose an important battle here or there, leaving his teammates helpless in poorly timed situations.

    Minten eventually got his call-up in April and made his Bruins debut on April 5th– recording one goal in a six-game stint with Boston before the offseason began. He did not look out of place and was more NHL ready at 6’2″, 204-pounds than Poitras in both his playing experience prior with the Maple Leafs and in his frame.

    Whereas Poitras has drawn comparisons to Jonathan Toews in the past for his playmaking abilities– if he can stay at the NHL level for long enough, Minten’s ceiling appears to be rising as the 2025-26 season goes on.

    Despite Poitras’ ups and downs in 2024-25, he at least managed a consistent 41-point effort in 40 games with the Providence Bruins, including 17 goals and 24 assists in that span.

    This season, however, the offensive elements of Poitras’ game have been evaporating.

    Unlike the previous two years, Poitras didn’t make the NHL squad out of training camp and the preseason. Since then, he has just 6-14–20 totals in 34 games with Providence.

    It’s not as if the Bruins have given up on developing Poitras, as they’ve given him just about every chance to stick in the NHL prior to this season. They’ve also given him a reason to prove beyond a doubt that he could force a call-up if his assignment to Providence prior to the season would’ve sparked a fire in him to reclaim his status as Boston’s most important prospect.

    But with Dans Ločmelis receiving Olympic attention from Latvia and James Hagens, Will Moore, Dean Letourneau, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, as well as Kristian Kostadinski turning heads at Boston College while Will Zellers lights the lamp in North Dakota, there’s a sense that Poitras could slip further and further down the Bruins’ depth charts.

    It’s not that Poitras can’t become a regular NHL player, but rather that there might not be the time and space for him to become whatever that might look like in a Bruins uniform, especially if he’s only going to get the occasional look in a replacement-level position.

    It might be best for both sides to cut ties and give Poitras the added advantage of a fresh change of scenery to reinvent himself in Calgary’s system.

    What are the Vegas Golden Knights thinking?

    A source close to the Flames indicated that Vegas has presented Calgary with an offer for Rasmus Andersson that includes Brett Howden and a 2nd round pick.

    It’s not unusual for the Golden Knights to pivot from protecting one of their highly touted talents within the organization only to flip that player for an immediate impact asset in hopes of securing their second Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.

    Mark Stone is 33-years-old. So are William Karlsson and Brandon Saad. Brayden McNabb is 34. Tomáš Hertl is 32. Alex Pietrangelo is 35, out for the season and may never play again.

    2023 Stanley Cup clinching goal scorer, Reilly Smith is 34, and a pending-unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

    The Golden Knights are getting older and will need to make some tough decisions regardless of the outcome of the 2025-26 regular season and 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

    Vegas general manager, Kelly McCrimmon, will need to remain focused on building around Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Zach Whitecloud and Shea Theodore as the old guard transitions to the new core.

    While adding Andersson increases Vegas’ average age and would come at the cost of giving Calgary a player with significant term left on his contract– as Howden has five years remaining through the 2029-30 season– McCrimmon can patch a hole on the right side of his defense in light of Pietrangelo’s unavailability.

    Regardless of an extension in place for Andersson at the time of the trade, the Golden Knights could convince Andersson that life in the desert is well worth sticking around for a longer term while presenting him with the best opportunity to win his first Cup ring sooner rather than later.

    Vegas, unlike Boston, is a legitimate Cup contender this season.

    They can well afford taking a risk on acquiring Andersson without an extension in place if it means they’ll use another wish on the metaphorical monkey’s paw for their second Cup banner and magic cure for the inevitable maneuvers they’ll have to make in the salary cap world.

    While Boston has the better offer from Calgary’s perspective, there is Andersson’s point of view to consider. Right now, it seems as though Andersson has preference for landing in Vegas rather than in the Hub.

    What’s pure speculation?

    There may be an ounce of truth to the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames having discussed a swap last summer involving Andersson and prolific goal scorer (albeit not named to Team USA at the upcoming Winter Games in Milano Cortina), Jason Robertson.

    What’s not known at this time is if the Stars have considered offering up Robertson in a trade for Andersson in-season.

    If the Bruins and Golden Knights are the current leading favorites for a trade with the Flames, then Dallas is going to have to increase the value of whatever might be on the table.

    Despite losing in three consecutive Western Conference Final appearances, as well as in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, Stars general manager, Jim Nill, might not want to rock the boat too much with a bold move that could jeopardize his team’s “win now” status.

    Especially when you consider the fact that Nill holds all the leverage in Robertson’s future– wherever that might end up.

    Robertson won’t turn 27 until July 22nd, which means he is a pending-restricted free agent on July 1st. If an extension can’t get done in Dallas, Nill can still flip Robertson’s signing rights for a decent haul.

    In the meantime, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin aren’t getting any younger, even if Wyatt Johnston, Jake Oettinger, Miro Heiskanen and Co. are poised for long-term core stabilization, but is a franchise altering trade worth stunting the offensive output that Robertson brings to the lineup currently?