2020 NHL Draft: Bruins pick low-ranked D-man in second round

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The Boston Bruins are finally on the draft board.

The Bruins didn't have a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft after trading it away in February as part of the Ondrej Kase deal.

That meant their first selection came in Wednesday's second round at No. 58 -- which Boston used to draft 19-year-old defenseman Mason Lohrei.

A Wisconsin native, Lohrei last played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL and is committed to play at Ohio State. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he can give Bruins some size on their back line in addition to strong puck-carrying skills and a mature game, notes NHL Draft analyst Steve Kournianos.

The Bruins will need a defenseman with puck skills if their best offensive defenseman, Torey Krug, departs in free agency. Team captain Zdeno Chara also is in the twilight of his career, so it made sense for Boston to add blue line depth.

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Lohrei didn't generate much pre-draft buzz -- he ranks 132nd among North American skaters on NHL.com's central scouting list -- but Don Sweeney and Co. clearly saw more in Lohrei's game to draft him in the second round.

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