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Up: Vinni Lettieri

When it was announced that Chris Kreider would be out long term with his injury, Vinni Lettieri was the obvious call-up. Lettieri has been an offensive force in the AHL this season. In his first year since turning pro, he has put up 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points in 31 games.

Lettieri was signed as a college free agent in March of 2017. Undrafted, he scored 19 goals in his senior year after having scored only 18 total in his previous three years.

Vinni Lettieri put on a show during the preseason this year. Though looking a bit shaky in his first game, he had a strong showing in all of his other games. Most people felt that he had earned his spot on the roster, but coach Vigneault ultimately cut Lettieri in favor of veteran forward Paul Carey.

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Lettieri has everything you could want in a fourth line player. He has some grit and isn’t afraid to get physical and lay a hit. He also has a scoring touch which is sorely needed by the Rangers.

In his NHL debut, Lettieri proved he was NHL ready. He and his linemates Boo Nieves and Paul Carey proved to have chemistry and were all over the offensive zone. Lettieri was coming in to crash the net when he got a pass from Nieves. Showing that he really does have a shoot-first mentality, Lettieri caught Jimmy Howard off guard and scored his first NHL goal to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.