It has been five years since the 2020 NHL Draft took place virtually at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The draft was headlined by the selection of Alexis Lafreniere first overall by the New York Rangers. Other top picks included Quinton Byfield (Los Angeles Kings), Tim Stutzle (Ottawa Senators), Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings), and Jake Sanderson (Senators). While several of the top selections have really begun to grow into their NHL careers, many are still trying to find their footing. The same thing can be said for the Boston Bruins’ 2020 Draft class.
After a number of trades and deals by general manager Don Sweeney, including arguably one of the worst deadline deals of his career that saw the Bruins trading away their first round pick to help shed David Backes’ contract and acquire Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks, the organization was left with only four picks in the draft. With those four picks, the team selected Mason Lohrei (second round), Trevor Kuntar (third round), Mason Langenbrunner (fifth round), and Riley Duran (sixth round).
Mason Lohrei
The highlight of this draft class is quite obvious. Out of the four, Lohrei is the only one to have played significant NHL minutes and has shown that he is a true NHL talent. Going into the 2020 Draft, he played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Green Bay Gamblers. He remained there through the 2020-21 season and then made his NCAA debut for the Ohio State Buckeyes where he played two solid seasons.
Lohrei was one of the more highly anticipated prospects coming out of college, and while he initially began the 2023-24 season playing for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL), he quickly began to get call-ups to the NHL. He finished that season with 21 games in Providence and 41 in Boston, cementing that he would be a full-time NHL player for 2024-25.
Last season was obviously not very good for the Bruins, and the vast majority of players showed room for improvement. Still, there were bright moments for the team and ones for the players as well. For Lohrei, his offensive capabilities and potential were on full display in 2024-25. He finished the season sixth overall in points with 33 in 77 games, ranking first amongst defensemen. The power play, which was a liability all season for the team, had some of its best moments when he was running point.
Last month, Lohrei signed a two-year bridge deal, which makes sense for both the team and the player. While the offense is there for him, his defensive liability has cause for concern. The entire team, in general, was bad in their own zone last season, but he was unfortunately one of the players that stood out in terms of defensive miscues. A two-year deal is the perfect opportunity for him to put in the work and show that he can make improvements, continue to grow, and earn a longer-term deal.
Lohrei was a great selection for the Bruins in 2020, and as he continues to grow, he may look like an absolute steal at 58th overall. Already, I think he could easily slot into the first round of a re-draft from this year. He may still be a bit rough around the edges, but he is a very talented defenseman who will hopefully be with the organization for a long time.
Trevor Kuntar
Kuntar was selected in the third round of the 2020 Draft with pick 89. Like Lohrei, he came out of the USHL where he was a top-ten scorer and named to the Second All-Star team. He was praised for his shooting and ability to win puck battles. He went on to join the Boston College Eagles for the 2020-21 season after flipping from Harvard University after the Ivy League decided to cancel the season due to the COVID-10 pandemic. He played a solid three seasons at the NCAA level, making improvements each year. His best season, his third season, saw him register 13 goals and 29 points in 34 games.
There was excitement surrounding Kuntar coming out of college. He signed his entry-level contract with the organization and reported to Providence to play in the American Hockey League (AHL). His first season had some growing pains; he registered only 20 points, including 10 goals, in 70 games. Still, going into 2024-25, there were some thoughts that he could make some noise at training camp. His two-way game, underrated shot and work ethic were all praised by the media and organization.
But Kuntar struggled this past season, having only three goals and 12 points in 54 games with the Providence Bruins. Given the influx of young players the organization has gotten over the last several months, they were going to have to cut a few loose, and it wasn’t surprising that Kuntar ended up on the chopping block. He was one of seven restricted free agents (RFAs) the front office decided not to extend a qualifying offer to this summer.
It’s disappointing, but not necessarily surprising. Luckily, he is still only 24 and will hopefully be able to find a contract elsewhere and have an opportunity to find his way into the NHL someday.
Mason Langenbrunner
The Bruins’ third pick in the 2020 Draft came in the fifth round, selecting Langenbrunner out of Eden Prairie High School. The right-shot defenseman is the son of former NHL player Jamie Langenbrunner, who at the time was a player development coordinator for the Bruins and is now in his third season as assistant general manager – player personnel.
When drafted, Langenbrunner was very much a raw talent, having not played in any of the major junior leagues or NCAA yet. He spent the 2020-21 season primarily with Eden Prairie High School for his senior season and also made his debut in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers. While initially a Harvard University commit for 2021-22, he pushed that back a season to play another year in the USHL for the Fargo Force, registering 22 points in 61 games.
Since 2022-23, Langenbrunner has played at Harvard and will be going into his fourth and final season there in 2025-26 as the captain of the squad. His NHL potential and future are still a bit of an unknown. He hasn’t shown a ton of offense while in the NCAA, but has a solid defensive skillset, which the Bruins do need. He will be an interesting prospect to watch this season.
Riley Duran
The 23-year-old Massachusetts native was selected in the sixth round, pick 182. From Woburn, he came out of the high school system, playing for Lawrence Academy. After his selection, he joined the USHL for the 2020-21 season, playing for the Youngstown Phantoms, and then joined the NCAA, playing for Providence College for the 2021-22 season. That season, he also made the United States World Juniors team, playing with guys like Luke Hughes, Brock Faber, and Thomas Bordeleau, who have all made their way into the NHL. At the tournament, Duran had two goals and five points in five games, a solid appearance.
Duran played a solid three seasons for PC, and in 2023-24, after his junior season came to an end, he signed his entry-level contract and reported across the city to play with the Providence Bruins in the AHL.
Last season was his first pro season, taking positive strides forward. He had 12 goals and 16 points in 60 games, not crazy numbers, but solid for a first full professional season. He’s gained a reputation as a good bottom-six guy who is strong on the forecheck and capable of playing a strong physical game.
His play earned him an NHL call-up for two of the final games of the season. The local guy played in front of a large number of friends and family against the Chicago Blackhawks at home on April 10, getting 13:36 of ice time and two shots. With an impressive training camp, he may get some more chances to play in the NHL this season. Of course, the issue facing him is the sheer amount of bottom-six type guys the Bruins have in the system at the moment, including the latest additions Sweeney brought in at the start of free agency.
2020 Draft Class in Retrospect
Going into the 2020 Draft, not many had high hopes for the class, beginning with the fact that they only had four picks, none of which were in the first round. Five years later, it could be considered one of Sweeney’s better ones (not the top, but solid given the picks he was working with). Two of them have made NHL appearances, and three out of the four are still in the system, and all three will be intriguing players to watch in 2025-26.
Lohrei, with his new contract and coming off of a solid World Championship appearance back in May, will hopefully be able to take a step forward and make improvements to the defensive side of his game. In his second full professional season, it will be intriguing to see if Duran can continue to play a hard-nosed game while generating a bit more offense. Langenbrunner, entering his final year at the NCAA level, will hopefully continue to solidify his defensive game while showing signs that he could be ready to make the NHL leap in the next few seasons.
Without a pick in the top 50, the 2020 Draft class is honestly in a much better spot five years later than I think people would have anticipated at the time.
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