BOSTON – Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has assembled one of the deepest blue lines in the entire league. It features top talent like Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, shutout defensemen Brandon Carlo and Andrew Peeke, and up-and-coming young defensemen Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon.

As if those bodies weren’t impressive enough, Sweeney added veteran Nikita Zadorov in the offseason. At 6’3″ tall and weighing 220 pounds, Zadorov is undoubtedly an imposing body on the blue line, and Lohrei couldn’t be more thrilled to have the giant as his teammate.

“He’s such an incredible player,” Lohrei told NESN.com. “I think when we played him last year, maybe the first word that comes to mind is scary. It’s good to have him on our side and not have to play against him.”

“You look at his game and he’s just so strong and physical and so good defensively. For someone that big, he really has a lot of skill and makes really smart plays.”

Although he may not be as tall as Zadorov, Lohrei, at 6 feet 2 inches and 220 pounds, brings a special blend of offensive and skating skills. The 23-year-old scored four goals and nine assists in 41 games for the Bruins last season and is looking to build on that success in the 2024-25 season.

“I think one of the big things I wanted to work on (this summer) was acceleration in the first three steps, getting faster and faster,” Lohrei said. “And then being in the weight room is so important. It’s simply about taking care of your body and getting stronger. Trying to gain weight and build muscle. This will help me win battles. “Get faster and stronger” and have a harder shot.

Despite his success last season, Lohrei said he used the confidence he built as a motivator heading into training camp this year.

“Just being able to step up and play with confidence in some of the biggest moments (for the Bruins) last year boosts my confidence for this year,” he said. “And then it was a big motivator. It was a big motivator for my summer to continue to improve my game and then come back and try to get even better.”