How Vinni Lettieri Contributes To Bruins Post Trade Deadline

Vinnie Lettieri is getting a bigger opportunity with the Boston Bruins during his second stint with the franchise, especially following the big sell-off of veteran players at the trade deadline last Friday.

“Vinni’s a good player. He’s a guy that we can use in different situations,” Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco told reporters in Ottawa, per team-provided video. “Right now, he’s playing on our second power play unit. He’s playing with (Casey Mittelstadt). He can score. He has the ability to put the puck in the back of the net because he’s got a really good shot.

“Then, attention to detail away from the puck is just something we continue to talk about with all our guys. With Vinni too, when he’s dialed in, he’s good and if his details are good away from the puck, he’s an effective player for us.”

Lettieri played just one game for Boston during the 2022-23 historic campaign before signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild in the offseason. He recorded 49 points (23 goals and 26 assists) in 48 games for Providence that same season.

The 30-year-old forward tallied five goals and four assists in 46 games for Minnesota last season, before being traded back to Boston along with the 110th pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft for Jakub Lauko.

Lettieri began the season in Providence and was the Baby B’s top scorer with 20-28-48 totals in 46 games before being recalled by Boston on March 5. He’s got two goals in 11 games for the Bruins this season. 

It’s not lost on Sacco that the undrafted Minnesota native has spent more time playing in the AHL, but he appreciates how Lettieri carries himself through adversity.

“Vinni is a guy that you can depend on when you bring him up,” Sacco said. “You can put him in different situations. … He’s got some experience under his belt and he’s been through some different experiences throughout his career. He’s got energy, he skates well, he can shoot the puck. It’s hard when you bounce up and down a lot like that, but he’s a good pro, he takes care of himself and he’s a good character guy. There are a lot of positives that he does bring.”

Lettieri has 140 goals and 145 assists in 323 career AHL games with the Bruins, Iowa Wild, San Diego Gulls and Hartford Wolf Pack. He has 14 goals and 15 assists in 140 NHL games with Boston, Minnesota, New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks.