Jordan Harris’ first season in a Boston Bruins uniform hasn’t gone quite the way anyone hoped - especially not for the Massachusetts native who grew up dreaming of wearing the Spoked-B. After finally cracking the lineup and showing flashes of the player the Bruins believed he could be, an ankle injury sidelined him for months, halting his momentum just as it was starting to build.
The Bruins have weathered their fair share of injuries this season, and while they’ve managed to stay in the playoff hunt, there were stretches when Harris' presence on the blue line could’ve made a real difference. Now, with the trade deadline looming and Boston still jockeying for postseason positioning, Harris is taking the next step in his return - heading to Providence for a conditioning stint. If all goes well, he could be back patrolling the Bruins' defensive zone sooner rather than later.
But Harris’ return isn’t happening in a vacuum. Boston’s blue line is finally starting to get healthy, and that means a roster crunch is coming.
Once Harris is ready to go and Henri Jokiharju returns from a personal matter, the Bruins will have more NHL-ready defensemen than spots in the lineup. That’s not a bad problem to have, but it does force some tough decisions.
One of those decisions could involve Mason Lohrei. The Bruins were reportedly close to moving Lohrei in a deal for Rasmus Andersson, but talks stalled when Andersson declined to commit to a long-term extension.
Lohrei is still young and still developing, but he’s shown enough flashes to intrigue teams looking for a potential top-four defenseman. Now that word is out that he’s available, GM Don Sweeney might be able to revisit those trade talks - or spark new ones.
Then there’s Andrew Peeke. The right-shot defenseman is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and with the market for righties always heating up as the playoffs approach, Boston may want to capitalize while they still can. Moving Peeke now could net them some future assets rather than letting him walk for nothing in the offseason.
What makes this situation particularly interesting is that the Bruins might be able to pull off these moves without taking a step back on the ice. With Harris nearing full health and Jonathan Aspirot continuing to impress - enough to earn a contract extension and carve out a spot in the top six - Boston has internal options ready to step in. That kind of depth gives Sweeney some flexibility, and potentially, some leverage.
If the Bruins can move out one or both of Lohrei and Peeke while slotting in Harris and Aspirot - and still stay competitive in the playoff race - it would be another savvy bit of roster management from the front office. The pieces are there. Now it’s about making the right moves at the right time.