I'm not averse to Lohrei playing 25-30 minutes a night in Providence until an injury or a trade takes place.
Agreed. Lohrei stands in different circumstances than Poitras and Beecher. Poitras was the best player in training camp and has no option to be sent to the AHL. Beecher is a former first rounder, D+4, who has already played a year in the AHL and clearly outplayed his direct competition in camp.
On the other hand, Lohrei has no substantial professional experience. He had a good camp where he showed a lot of promise and some rookie mistakes. I can't say 100% that he gives us a better chance to win than Forbort on opening night. Forbort was part of a defensive unit that had the best win percentage in NHL history. No harm can come from starting Lohrei in the AHL and working him into the NHL roster in the next few months.