The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced they have called up seven-year NHL forward Vinni Lettieri to their active roster.
Lettieri, who has played for the AHL Toronto Marlies since last year, did not make it into an NHL game last season. However, the 31-year-old Minnesota native is now back in the NHL, as the Maple Leafs announced they have called him up in the wake of an injury to veteran John Tavares that will keep him out week-to-week.
Maple Leafs Call Up Vinni Lettieri
The Maple Leafs revealed on social media on Monday that they have called up Lettieri ahead of Toronto’s game tonight against the San Jose Sharks at home.
“F Vinni Lettieri and G Artur Akhtyamov have been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL),” the team announced on X.
Vinni Lettieri NHL Career
Lettieri is being called up to help Toronto deal with the loss of center John Tavares, who is out for the next few weeks with a lower-body injury.
Though Lettieri is an NHL veteran himself, he obviously won’t provide what Toronto is missing with Tavares out on the sidelines. Still, he’s a warm body, and the Maple Leafs had the cap room to make the call-up, so they decided to do so, and it gives the veteran of seven NHL seasons the chance to potentially play in the big leagues once again.
Lettieri was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Rangers in 2017. He has played parts of two seasons for the Rangers, parts of two seasons for the Anaheim Ducks, parts of two seasons for the Boston Bruins, and a season with his hometown Minnesota Wild so far in his NHL career.
Overall, Lettieri has played in 155 regular-season NHL games with 15 goals and 32 points.
Last year for the Marlies, Lettieri played in 55 games, scoring 14 goals and 42 points while helping the Marlies capture the AHL Calder Cup, and he played in 23 playoff games, scoring 11 goals and 26 points.
Now, let’s see if he gets the chance to step into the Maple Leafs’ lineup with several of the team’s forwards currently banged up.
Maple Leafs Announce Call-Up of 7-Year NHL Forward