New York Rangers 2017-18 report card: Vinni Lettieri
In his first full professional season, the University of Minnesota graduate made some good first impressions on the New York Rangers’ organization.
Vinni Lettieri made a really good first impression back in preseason for the New York Rangers. After playing just nine games for the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2016-17 after signing on with the Blueshirts as a college free agent, Lettieri notched a few goals in the preseason, making him a difficult player to cut entering the season.
Lettieri was not on the opening day roster, however, and started the season down in Hartford. After handling his business with the Wolf Pack, becoming one of their best offensive players, Lettieri was called up to the NHL right after Christmas. He started his NHL career on December 29 in Detroit. In his debut, Lettieri notched his first career NHL goal.
Lettieri would play the next 19 games with the Rangers. He would not score another goal with the big club, but he did add four assists to his resume.
The team sent Letteri down and up and down again in the span of a week. Once he was sent down on February 26, he would be in Hartford for good. This was surprising considering the Rangers traded away three forwards at the deadline.
Letteri was solid down the stretch for the Wolf Pack who couldn’t muster a playoff spot due to their awful start to the season. He finished the season with an AHL stat line of 23 goals and 13 assists in 55 games.
Verdict
In his first pro season, the 23-year old Lettieri showed a lot of offensive potential. He probably projects to be a solid third line winger at his peak, but those types of players are valuable at the NHL level. It is surprising that he didn’t get a longer leash at the NHL level after the trade deadline.
In his time with the Rangers, you could tell that maybe he did need some more minor league seasoning. He would disappear for stretches of games sometimes. In a new system with a new coach that will play him 14 or 15 minutes a game on the third line, maybe he could be a lot more effective.
It is worth noting that Lettieri probably hit at least six or seven posts in his 19 NHL games. If those went an inch to the left or and inch to the right, maybe he wouldn’t have been sent down. That’s how fickle the game of hockey can be.
Next: 2017-18 report card: Pavel Buchnevich
You have to give Letteri and his family credit for realizing a Rangers’ rebuild was on the horizon. With another offseason to train after getting his feet wet in the NHL, maybe Lettieri can break out in 2018-19.