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Vinni Lettieri

Wild Notes: Lettieri, Brodin, Chisholm, Raška

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The Minnesota Wild have activated forward Vinni Lettieri from injured reserve. Lettieri has been out since December 30th with a lower-body injury, missing the team’s last 14 games. He’s appeared in 19 games when healthy this year, scoring three goals and four points. He has also scored eight points in 10 AHL games.

Lettieri will return to the lineup looking to top 20 games in a season for only the third time in his career. The 29-year-old has played in 102 career NHL games over the last six seasons, though much of them have come in a relief role. The 2021-22 season marked the most that Lettieri has played in one season, as he appeared in 31 games and scored 10 points with the Anaheim Ducks. His only other season of more than 20 games came in the 2018-19 season – Lettieri’s rookie year – which saw the centerman net three points across 27 games.

Lettieri has also totaled 237 points across 277 career AHL games.

Other Minnesota Wild notes:

  • The Wild will be without both Jonas Brodin and Declan Chisholm for their Wednesday night matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, per team reporter Sarah McLellan. McLellan shares that both players haven’t skated much, as Brodin is facing illness and Chisholm was traveling internationally after the team claimed him off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets last week. Both will look to enter the lineup when Minnesota hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
  • Minnesota has sent forward Adam Raška to the minor leagues. Raška has spent a month with the NHL roster, slotting into five games but failing to change his stat line. The 22-year-old winger has also played in 20 AHL games this season, recording one goal, 61 penalty minutes, and a -5. Raška has appeared in 13 NHL games over the last three seasons, though he’s still searching for his first point. That search will be delayed a bit longer as the former seventh-round pick rejoins the Iowa Wild.

Central Notes: Scandella, Wild Injuries, Savoie, Kaiser

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The Blues are one of the teams that are still in the mix for a Wild Card spot but even if they fall out of the race, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic wonders (subscription link) if it could be a quiet deadline as a seller.  Their most prominent rentals up front are the struggling Kasperi Kapanen and Jakub Vrana, who is currently playing in the minors; neither would likely have much of a market.  However, Rutherford suggests that blueliner Marco Scandella could be the likeliest player to garner attention around the league if he isn’t signed to an extension first.  The 33-year-old has had a very limited role this season but can still kill penalties and is the type of depth player that playoff teams will often look to add for injury insurance purposes.  That said, at $3.275MM, St. Louis would certainly have to pay half of that to facilitate any sort of move while an extension, if one was to be reached, should check in closer to the $1MM mark.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

  • Wild winger Vinni Lettieri is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Anaheim, relays John Shipley of the Pioneer Press. The 28-year-old has been out since late December with a lower-body injury after seeing some consistent minutes as he had played in 19 games on recall.  Meanwhile, Shipley adds that winger Adam Raska skated before practice Friday.  He was injured last weekend; head coach John Hynes suggested the injury isn’t a significant one and is more soreness-based.  The 22-year-old was acquired in November from San Jose and has played in five games since being recalled earlier this month.
  • The Blackhawks activated prospect Samuel Savoie off season-opening IR and assigned him to QMJHL Rouyn-Noranda, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The 19-year-old recorded just shy of a point per game with the Huskies last season, notching 59 in 60 appearances, helping him earn his entry-level contract in July.  However, he was injured in a preseason game and underwent femur surgery, keeping him unavailable to play until now.  This should be Savoie’s final junior season as he’ll be AHL-eligible in the fall.
  • Still with the Blackhawks, blueliner Wyatt Kaiser has been placed in concussion protocol, per an announcement from AHL Rockford (Twitter link). The 21-year-old has split the season between Chicago and the IceHogs but any potential recall is out of the question for the time being now.  Kaiser has played in 23 games with the Blackhawks, picking up four assists while logging nearly 17 minutes a night.  With Rockford, his numbers have been similar, notching a goal and two helpers in 15 contests.

Injury Notes: Hamonic, Svechnikov, Wild

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Ottawa Senators defenseman Travis Hamonic sustained an upper-body injury in today’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, and did not return to the game.  Hamonic played in a little over five minutes before the injury forced him out of the action. The 33-year-old veteran has played in 40 games this season for the Senators and registered five points, averaging 14:59 time-on-ice per game.

Should Hamonic miss any time, the Senators would need to fill in for him on their third pairing. Should Hamonic miss any time, the Senators could plug their seventh defenseman, Erik Brännström, into the lineup in Hamonic’s place. Brännström is a quicker, transition-oriented defenseman which means his skillset differs quite drastically compared to Hamonic, a stay-at-home blueliner, so if he does re-enter the lineup in a Hamonic absence the Senators’ pairings could end up a little shuffled.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • Yesterday, we covered how Carolina Hurricanes star Andrei Svechnikov missed practice due to health reasons. Today, the Hurricanes announced that Svechnikov will miss tonight’s game due to due to an upper-body injury. Svechnikov has battled injuries over the last two years but has been brilliant, as expected, when healthy. He’s scored 30 points in 29 games this season.
  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith relayed word from Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes related to injuries to numerous Wild players. Hynes offered no update on the status of either Marc-Andre Fleury or Frederick Gaudreau, though he did not rule out Fleury potentially playing later in the week. He also added that Vinni Lettieri is skating back in St. Paul. Lettieri has not played yet in 2024 but has skated in 19 games with the Wild this season, his most since his 2021-22 season with the Anaheim Ducks.

Minnesota Places Vinni Lettieri On IR, Recalls Samuel Walker

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In an announcement coming from the Minnesota Wild this afternoon, the organization has placed depth forward Vinni Lettieri on injury reserved due to a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled Samuel Walker from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.

As reported this morning, veteran Marcus Foligno will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Calgary Flames, and with Lettieri also injured, Minnesota was put in a position where they may have only been able to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Instead, with Lettieri’s placement on the injured reserve and the subsequent callup of Walker, the team will now be able to put together four full offensive lines for their matchup tonight.

Even while maintaining their roster flexibility, it will mark another time this season that the Wild’s depth has been tested. In his own right, Lettieri himself was viewed as an extra forward for Minnesota at the beginning of the season, coming over from the Boston Bruins organization on a two-year, $1.55MM contract this past summer.

In what is now his second call-up with the organization since clearing waivers on November 24th, Lettieri has suited up in a total of 19 games for the Wild this season, scoring one goal and four points on the team’s fourth line. Although he has shown spurts of solid play, his 45.8% CorsiFor%, as well as his 6.3% team on-ice shooting percentage in all situations are both below his career averages.

It has been a difficult transition back into the NHL for Lettieri, as a fourth-line role is somewhat foreign territory for him compared to his usage at the AHL level. Throughout his time in the AHL, Lettieri has been nearly a point-per-game player, scoring 237 points in 277 career games. Due to that, and his regular usage of the powerplay, Lettieri will have to add a bit more hard-nosed physicality into his game for a smoother transition.

Walker, an Edina, Minnesota native came over to the organization in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Having already made his NHL debut last year, Walker has suited up in two games this season in mid-October. Similarly to Lettieri, Walker has also been a heavily relied upon offensive talent for Iowa, as he currently sits third on the team in scoring.

Wild Recall Three Players, Move Jonas Brodin To LTIR

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The Wild recalled defensemen Daemon Hunt and Dakota Mermis, as well as forward Vinni Lettieri, from AHL Iowa on Wednesday, per a team release. To make the Wild salary cap-compliant, defenseman Jonas Brodin was moved to long-term injured reserve retroactive to December 9. He remains out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained last Friday on a hit from Oilers winger Evander Kane.

Doing so gives the Wild a 23-player active roster for the first time this season. Recalling both Hunt and Mermis gives the Wild eight defensemen to choose from on a nightly basis while Brodin is sidelined, while Lettieri will serve as injury insurance as an extra forward with the Wild slated for an East Coast road trip early next week.

This is the fourth recall of the season for Hunt, the 65th overall pick in the 2020 draft. The 21-year-old last suited up for an NHL game on November 9 and has been a healthy scratch in four out of the nine games he’s been rostered for this season.

Including his NHL debut on October 27 against the Capitals, Hunt’s played in five games, recording three shots on goal while averaging a paltry 8:36 per contest. He’s still looking for his first NHL point. The physical two-way defender is beginning to look comfortable at the professional level, notching a goal, eight assists and a +3 rating in 14 games for AHL Iowa this season. He recorded 11 points in 59 games last season, his first in the pros after completing his junior career with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors.

Mermis comes back up to the NHL promptly after being sent down Monday to extend his waiver-exempt status, which lasts for 30 NHL-rostered days after he last cleared waivers on November 18. The 29-year-old has played in a career-high 14 games this season, recording two goals and three assists while logging 15:29 per game. After playing 13 straight games between October 17 and November 12, Mermis has frequently been a healthy scratch when on the NHL roster and has played just once in the last month, logging 12:37 and a +1 rating against the Oilers on Friday.

Lettieri, 28, returns to Minnesota after a week-long stint in the minors. The high-end minor-league point producer has split the 2023-24 campaign between leagues after signing with his hometown club in the offseason, recording eight points in ten games for AHL Iowa and three points in 13 games for Minnesota. His last appearance came on November 30 against the Predators.

Wild Recall Dakota Mermis, Reassign Vinni Lettieri

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The Wild recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from AHL Iowa today, per a team announcement. Minnesota sent forward Vinni Lettieri to Iowa in a corresponding move to remain under the Upper Limit of the salary cap.

Mermis, 29, has appeared in 20 games for the Wild since signing as a free agent in 2020, recording two goals and three assists in 15:30 of average ice time. After clearing waivers, the Wild recalled Mermis early this season as injuries struck their blueline, playing him in a career-high 13 contests. After notching his only five points as a member of the Wild and recording a -1 rating, the Wild placed Mermis on waivers again in November, shortly after the return of captain Jared Spurgeon from injury, officially assigning him to Iowa less than a week later.

He’s only appeared in four games for Iowa since his November demotion. The left-shot defender has one assist, a -1 rating and 12 penalty minutes after recording 26 points in 63 games for Iowa last season. While Spurgeon likely won’t miss any time after departing yesterday’s win over the Blackhawks with an apparent lower-body injury, recent trade acquisition Zach Bogosian is banged up and likely to miss time on their upcoming Pacific Division road trip with an upper-body injury. With Bogosian not headed for long-term injured reserve, the Wild only have sufficient cap space for one extra player – meaning they’ll carry 12 forwards and seven defensemen for the trip instead of 13 forwards and six defensemen.

This is Letteri’s second demotion of the season after clearing waivers last month. The 28-year-old had played in two out of three games since his subsequent call-up on November 28, sitting as a healthy scratch against the Blackhawks yesterday and playing a limited role when in the lineup. A point-per-game threat in the minors, Lettieri has averaged 10:43 through 13 NHL appearances this season with two goals and one assist. The Minnesota-born center has 96 NHL games under his belt, dating back to the 2017-18 season with the Rangers, and remains a high-end AHL talent in his prime.

The Wild did not need to expose Lettieri to waivers because he had been on the NHL roster for less than 30 days and played less than 10 games since he cleared last month.

Minnesota Wild Hire Patrick Dwyer As Assistant Coach, Recall Vinni Lettieri

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The Minnesota Wild have made two team announcements this morning: firstly, forward Vinni Lettieri has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. Additionally, another name is heading from Iowa to the Twin Cities: coach Patrick Dwyer.

The Iowa assistant has been elevated to new coach John Hynes’ staff, and he’ll take up the responsibilities left by former assistant Bob Woods, meaning he’ll help run the defense and penalty kill.

The recall of Lettieri was necessitated by the suspension of forward Ryan Hartman, who will miss the Wild’s next two games after slew-footing Alex DeBrincat. The grandson of longtime Minnesota North Stars GM Lou Nanne, Lettieri was a college hockey star in Minnesota who has settled into a role as a top-six AHLer and premier NHL call-up option.

This season, Lettieri has scored four points in six games for Iowa and two goals in 11 games with Minnesota. He last played in the NHL on November 18th, during the team’s trip to Sweden.

He could slot into Hartman’s vacated spot on the team’s third line, or Frédérick Gaudreau could see himself elevated from the fourth-line winger role to that 3C spot with Lettieri landing on the fourth line. Alternatively, coach Hynes could entirely re-construct the lineup for his first game in charge, which could introduce some more mystery as to where Lettieri would slot in.

As for Dwyer, the former NHLer began his coaching career as a player-coach with the Belfast Giants of the United Kingdom’s EIHL, serving in that role for the 2018-19 season. He then moved on to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, and then spent three seasons with the Chicago Wolves. He was part of the staff that won a Calder Cup with the Wolves in 2021-22, and began this season with Iowa before now receiving his first chance to coach behind an NHL bench.

Minnesota Wild Activate Alex Goligoski, Assign Mermis And Lettieri To AHL

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After some recent indication that defenseman Alex Goligoski was healthy and ready to return to the Minnesota Wild lineup, the team has officially announced his activation of the LTIR. In order to make cap space to return Goligoski to the lineup, the team also assigned Vinni Lettieri (placed on waivers yesterday) and Dakota Mermis to their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.

According to CapFriendly, with these moves, Minnesota has a projected cap space of $617K, which translates to roughly $806K in actual salary cap space. With only 21 players on the active roster, two of those being goaltenders, the Wild really only have the capability to bring up one league-minimum salary unless other changes are made.

Goligoski will likely return to a bottom-pairing role, or even become an extra defenseman on the Minnesota blue line, given his level of play and injury history over last season and the current one. He has missed all but two games for the Wild this season, carrying a -3 rating with zero points.

Mermis, on the other hand, has done relatively well filling in the shoes of Goligoski. In 13 games played in his absence, Mermis has two goals and three assists and has shown a skill for blocking shots in his defensive zone. With a $775K salary for the 2023-24 season, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for the Wild to keep Mermis rather than Goligoski down the stretch.

For Lettieri, it was not a major surprise to see his name on the waiver wire yesterday, as he has operated as a depth forward option in the NHL for the last several years. In 11 games for Minnesota this year, Lettieri chipped in two goals but regularly averaged less than 12 minutes of ice time per night, indicating the Wild were not giving him very important minutes.

Minnesota Wild Place Vinni Lettieri On Waivers

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The Minnesota Wild have waived centerman Vinni Lettieri. Lettieri has played in 11 games with the club this season, scoring two goals and recording four penalty minutes. He’s managed these totals while averaging 11 minutes of ice time each night and operating as the Wild’s top faceoff option, with a 58 percent win-rate on draws.

Interestingly, Lettieri was presently serving as the team’s extra forward and was joined in the press box by extra defenseman Dakota Mermis. Mermis cleared waivers on November 18th. Despite that, Mermis remains with the NHL club. Whether Lettieri will also hold onto his NHL roster spot is yet to be seen, although the Wild do have forwards like Nic Petan, Jujhar Khaira, and Jake Lucchini performing well in the minor leagues.

Lettieri is in his first year with the Wild organization, after spending the 2022-23 season with the Boston Bruins’ AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. The Wild are the fourth franchise that Lettieri has been a part of, originally signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Rangers following the end of the University of Minnesota’s 2017-18 season. Now 28 years old, Lettieri has totaled 94 career NHL games and scored 20 points. He’s also managed 271 career games and scored 232 points in the minor leagues.

The Wild have had a surprisingly slow start to the season, currently sitting with a 5-8-4 record. They rank second-to-last in the Central Division, largely on the back of an offense with the seventh-fewest goals this season. Lettieri’s waiving doesn’t offer a major change to the lineup, but it could take pressure off of centermen like Frédérick Gaudreau, who is slotting back into the lineup after recently returned from injury.

Minnesota Wild Recall Vinni Lettieri

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After assigning recent callup, Samuel Walker, back to their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, earlier today, the Minnesota Wild have called up a different forward to take his place in the lineup. The team announced that they have recalled Vinni Lettieri, a recent signee of the organization after spending the last two years in Anaheim and Boston, respectively.

An undrafted college free agent coming out of the University of Minnesota after the 2016-17 season, Lettieri would originally sign on with the New York Rangers under a two-year contract. Primarily playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL during his three-year run in the Rangers organization, Lettieri would impress at the league’s highest minor league level. However, although garnering solid production at the AHL level, Lettieri would fail to score more than 10 points over 46 games as a Ranger.

Before starting the 2020-21 season, Lettieri would sign a back-to-back one-year contracts with the Anaheim Ducks organization, once again spending much of his time in the AHL. Given the team’s competitiveness at the time, Lettieri was able to play in 31 games for the Ducks during the 2021-22 season, scoring five goals and five assists, the best statistical output he’s had to this day.

After his time in the Ducks organization ended, Lettieri found his most recent landing spot in the Boston Bruins organization on a one-year contract. In 48 games played for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, Lettieri scored 23 goals and 26 points, which was good for second on the team in scoring even after missing a month of action with a lower-body injury.

Already off to a hot start in Iowa to start this season, Lettieri will once again get the opportunity to prove his worth at the NHL level. However, with Minnesota starting off the season tied for 28th in goals against, Lettieri may have to focus primarily on keeping the puck out of his own net.

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