Why Mason Lohrei's new contract with Bruins is a win for both sides originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins entered the 2025 NHL offseason with a bunch of restricted free agents, and one of them just signed a new contract.

The B’s announced Monday they have signed defenseman Mason Lohrei to a two-year contract that carries a $3.2 million salary cap hit.

This is a reasonable number for both the player and team.

Lohrei gets a nice raise from his entry-level contract ($925,000 cap hit) and a chance to prove himself over the next two years. If he becomes the top-four defenseman and offensive-driving player many people expect, he’ll have a chance to really cash in not too long from now. And in two years, the league’s salary cap should be significantly higher.

The Bruins also did well to sign a key young player at a low salary cap hit for two seasons. They now have more time before having to decide whether to commit to Lohrei long term.

Lohrei is one of Boston’s best draft-and-develop stories in recent years. They selected him in the second round (pick No. 58) in the 2020 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2023-24, and his first full campaign was 2024-25. Lohrei tallied 33 points (five goals, 28 assists) in 77 games this past season, along with 19:31 of ice time per game.

Lohrei’s offensive instincts, playmaking ability, shot and hockey IQ are all impressive. He needs to improve defensively, but there’s a lot to like about his skill set.

Now that Lohrei is signed, the Bruins can turn their focus to some other RFAs, including forwards Morgan Geekie, John Beecher, Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov, among others.