New York Rangers: Was sending down Lettieri justifiable?
The New York Rangers sent Vinni Lettieri back to the Hartford Wolfpack. Was this the best decision for the team?
On February 16th, the Rangers sent forward Vinni Lettieri back down to the AHL. A player needed to return to the AHL in order to make room for Pavel Buchnevich, who is returning from injury. But was Lettieri really the right choice to send to Hartford?
Practically speaking, the answer is yes. Head coach Alain Vigneault said the main reason Lettieri was sent down was that he did not need to go on waivers. He was the only player on the roster that did not need to clear waivers.
This makes sending Lettieri down an obvious choice. Not to mention the Rangers also needed to recall a goalie to replace an injured Ondrej Pavelec and a sick Alexandar Georgiev. However, there may have been better options than Lettieri.
In 16 games with the Rangers, Lettieri has five points. On this injury-ridden lineup, he spent time on the second line and averages more than ten minutes of ice time per game. Overall, he played fairly well in his emergency call-up role.
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The Rangers’ other options
Cody McLeod was claimed off waivers to bring physicality to the lineup. He definitely has made an effort to do this, but it has not been pretty. In just eight games with the Rangers, he has 17 penalty minutes and three fights. Two of those fights happened in one game.
McLeod averages eight and a half minutes of ice time per game. Aside from physicality, he hasn’t brought much else to the table. Now that the Rangers are getting healthy, it could be worth the risk to waive him and send him to the AHL.
Peter Holland is another player that has spent time in Hartford. In nearly as many NHL games as Lettieri and comparable ice time this season, he only has three assists and a goal. He is also older than Lettieri. If the Rangers want to be younger and faster, Holland could be your choice to send to Hartford instead. Again there is a risk with waivers, but it is worthwhile to take the risk.
A Vigneault favorite like Paul Carey would probably not be put on waivers. However, he has not earned a point since January 16th. On a team that is struggling to win, something’s got to give and lineup changes need to be made.
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Understandably, the Rangers took the least risk in sending Lettieri down to Hartford. The move is not entirely justifiable. Choosing to send Lettieri to Hartford in favor of keeping players like McLeod in the lineup is puzzling.
Lettieri played well in the absence of injured players. While he may not be an NHL mainstay, he is a player the Rangers could use right now. Despite the risk of waivers, it makes more sense to keep Lettieri in the NHL and send another player to the AHL.