By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter @BlackAndGold277
This article will analyze how Providence forward Vinni Lettieri has impacted the Bruins’ offense this year and what kind of outlook they have going into the final stretch of the 2022-23 regular season. By examining his contributions and leadership in greater detail, it is possible to better understand what he brings to the table as an individual athlete.
The Providence Bruins have enjoyed a great year on offense, and much of the success can be attributed to the Minnesota native. The undrafted veteran has been a key contributor to the team, providing an inspiring presence with his offensive contributions, leadership, and ability to create scoring opportunities. This blog post will explore how Providence Bruins forward Vinni Lettieri has impacted their offense in 2022-23.
The top minor-pro affiliate of the Boston Bruins has been successful this season, bouncing back and forth between the first and second position all year at the top of the AHL Atlantic Division. Much of their offensive success can be attributed to forward Lettieri, who signed a one-year, two-way contract in July of 2022. As one of the leaders on the team and a pivotal contributor to the offense, Lettieri has played an integral role in helping the Bruins achieve their goals throughout the 2022-23 season.
Let’s look at how Vinni Lettieri’s offensive contributions have helped shape the team’s success. The 28-year-old forward has scored 16 goals and dished out 21 assists in his first season with Providence. He’s also been a threat on the man advantage posting nine power-play goals and logging plenty of minutes during crucial game moments. While these stats may not be atop the AHL’s best, they accurately portray Lettieri’s ability to create scoring opportunities while making intelligent plays within all three zones. His willingness to sacrifice himself for a scoring chance or come back hard defensively demonstrates his value on and off the ice.
Not only does Lettieri contribute significantly at the offensive end, but his leadership presence throughout this season has considerably impacted Providence’s morale and cohesiveness as a unit. Young players have looked up to him for advice during difficult times. His presence has improved team chemistry, much like forwards Jordan Szwarz and Paul Carey did before Vinni’s arrival via free agency last summer after leaving the Anaheim Ducks organization. Even outside of hockey-related matters, team members have sought guidance from him in other areas, which speaks volumes about his ability to encourage growth within those around him.
A perfect example is how a veteran like Lettieri has worked in his first year with the Boston Bruins organization between Boston Bruins forward prospects Georgii Merkulov, mainly on the left, and Fabian Lysell on the right. This forward line has been Providence Head Coach Ryan Mougenel’s most successful trio producing offense most of the season. With Lettieri currently on the shelf, a player like Merkulov has seriously stepped up his point-producing game to contribute points in his last four AHL contests, posting 5-2-7 numbers since the veteran versatile forwards’ absence.
The future outlook is bright for the Providence Bruins, with Vinni Lettieri leading them into battle each week as soon as he returns from a recent lower-body injury. The injury of mention happened when Lettieri and Providecne forward Jakub Lauko were recalled to the NHL Bruins to participate in the game vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road.
By having a healthy Lettieri back on the Providence roster driving offense, the B’s will be able to keep up their level of play down the stretch; then, there is no doubt that they can challenge opposing teams both offensively and defensively without having to rely too much on luck or circumstance alone. While there is still work left to do until postseason play arrives, there is no questioning that Vinni Lettieri has been instrumental in helping them get where they are today – something that should not go unnoticed by anybody associated with this organization or any other looking for similar successes later down the line.
For Lettieri’s efforts this season in his first campaign with the Providence Bruins, the AHL recognized him along with rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi to represent his club at the AHL 2023 All-Star Classic. This year’s festivities were held at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec home of the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Due to Vinni’s lower-body injury and inability to participate, Providence defenseman Jack Ahcan was the veteran forwards substitute for the Sunday and Monday events last week up in Quebec, Canada.
Regardless of the recent injury to Lettieri, I believe the Boston Bruins should retain the services of the veteran forward to continue to be an extension of Mougenel’s coaching staff. Signing him to a two-year, two-way contract extension would benefit the player as he continues to get consideration for NHL time as a break glass in case of emergency scenario, but also be a mentor for a prospect about to join the Providence team like Brett Harrison.
In conclusion, it goes without saying that Providence Bruins forward Lettieri has had a massive impact on their offense throughout this current 2022-23 season. His contribution on and off the ice demonstrates his commitment as an athlete towards achieving excellence every game day, makings him invaluable as part of this franchise going into playoffs later this year too. It will be intriguing to see what else comes from him in terms of leadership qualities moving forward,d but regardless – it’s safe to say that he has already made quite an impression here in Rhode Island throughout this campaign!
Leave a Reply