Scout: Nate [2023-07-29]
Boston Bruins
2020 NHL Entry Draft
2nd Round Pick
58th Overall Selection by the Boston Bruins
MAIN REPORT
Skating:
Average - Lohrei covers a lot of ground, due to his 6’4” frame, and can get up the ice quick with his long strides, which helps him a lot in the transition game. However, his agility is a bit of a concern, as he struggles to keep up with the pace during quick turns and against shiftier forwards. A concerning trend was his tendency to get caught flat-footed in his limited AHL sample size, which he made up for with his long reach to catch forwards after they had beaten him wide. As he moves on to the NHL level, it’ll be harder for him to catch the faster forwards when the game gets a step quicker.
Puck handling:
Above-Average - Lohrei has great puck handling skills for a bigger defenseman, possessing the ability to carry the puck up ice in transition and find forwards with accurate, smart passes. Has a lot of confidence with the puck, and barely makes a misstep when handling it.
Shot:
Average - Lohrei is much more of a pass-first defenseman, preferring to distribute, which was shown by his 8 goals in 71 games at the NCAA level. When he does shoot it, he has a nice snap shot that could net him some goals at the pro level, but he doesn’t utilize it nearly enough to be more than an average shooter.
IQ (vision, offensive and defensive anticipation, panic meter):
Elite - Lohrei is equally intelligent at both ends of the ice, being able to log heavy minutes at 5 on 5, quarterback a powerplay, and anchor a penalty kill. At the offensive end, he has elite vision and poise, something that will make him an above-average playmaker and assist-getter during his career. At the defensive end, he makes a great first pass, jumpstarting breakouts, and taking it upon himself to carry the puck up ice when the situation calls for it. He also excels at getting his stick in lanes to break up passes, clogging up the zone with his long reach and high IQ. As outlined in the puck handling section, his panic meter is pretty close to zero and if his AHL debut was any indication, will not be scared of the bright lights of the NHL when he gets there.
Defense:
Above-Average - Alot of his solid defensive play is a result of his elite IQ, which will make him a fixture on pro PK units, and at the top Even Strength units to go against the other team’s top players. Despite his tall and thin stature, he isn’t afraid to throw his body around and will be a contributor for fantasy in the hits and blocked shots categories.
Best Asset:
IQ
Biggest Concern:
Skating
Top Tier Potential:
Star Defenseman - Lohrei has all the tools to be an elite defenseman if it can all come together. He already has the high IQ, so the biggest things for him will be to add some weight to his big frame and work on his foot speed if he is to be a shutdown defenseman. Regardless, he should always be able to contribute offensively, as he hasn’t let the skating hold him down before, but he has the potential to receive top minutes with these improvements and receive a lot more opportunity to become a star.
Most Likely Tier:
Top-Four Defenseman - Lohrei’s most likely tier will be just a top-four two-way defenseman that can still be a big contributor to the Bruins and your fantasy team. He will rack up assists, hits, shots, and blocks, but as is the usual with the Bruins D corp, it will likely be by committee and there won’t be a huge opportunity to reach a higher tier. The Bruins could hypothetically have a top four of Mcavoy, Lindholm, Carlo, and Lohrei for many years to come, and he will fit into a comfortable role there in that system.
Stylistic Comparable:
Lohrei’s body type is a lot more wiry, but if he manages to add some more weight to his frame I can see him comparing to Colton Parayko. This may be a bit disappointing after Parayko’s past couple of seasons, but people forget how much of a factor he was for the Blues in his first couple seasons and their cup run. Parayko had the offensive potential but it plateaued as he transitioned more to defense first. I can see Lohrei’s career go on the same trajectory, as he is versatile enough to fit into any role that is needed, but will have the ability to show glimpses of offensive potential. Lohrei’s college numbers are already better than Parayko’s during his time in the NCAA ranks, but there is a similarity there as well.
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