Leafs prospect Vinni Lettieri has an Ovechkin-type one-timer and Toronto can't ignore his playoff dominance
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
While not the youngest guy in the system, Vinni Lettieri has proven he can be a deadly threat on the ice and his AHL playoff performance is starting to turn heads.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs figure out their roster for next season, right now the Toronto Marlies are still fighting for the Calder Cup. After a thrilling 3-2 series win over Laval, they moved on to the North Division Finals against Columbus' AHL affiliate the Cleveland Monsters.
Hoping for a monstrous performance themselves, the team recently called up top prospect Ben Danford to help solidify things on the blueline meanwhile they have guys like Easton Cowan and Logan Shaw leading the way.
Lettieri's dominant playoff performance shows he's got more than enough in the tank to help the Maple Leafs
But one name who deserves a lot of attention is Vinni Lettieri. The 30-year-old forward was signed to a one-year deal last summer and put in a very solid regular season with 42 points in 55 games. But it's his postseason prowess that is getting a lot of attention.
Lettieri sits second in the AHL in both points and goals this postseason (4 goals, 9 points) with three of those goals coming on the power-play. The main reason for his success is his blistering slapper that's eerily reminiscent of Alex Ovechkin's favourite on the man advantage:
But one of his most remarkable goals this postseason was against Laval on May 9th when he took a slap-shot while skating backwards that beat the goaltender:
I had the pleasure of seeing Lettieri on May 3rd and while he didn't score, he did assist on the first goal 11 seconds into the game. He was a relentless forechecker, and every time a Laval player even got close to Artur Akhtyamov - he was there to get right in their face.
He's deceptively quick on his feet despite not being the fastest guy, and he's proven that he's one of the most consistent AHL players over the last decade (329 points in 379 games).
Why John Chayka needs to give Vinni Lettieri another contract but this time with the NHL in mind
Lettieri currently is going to be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and while he only makes $775,000 (the league minimum) he should likely get a chance at the NHL level. He would be a perfect third or fourth line option that gives Toronto a veteran name who is a proven scorer.
Lettieri also has 155 NHL games under his belt with 47 points, and if he can provide Toronto with some tertiary scoring and aggressiveness then he could be a perfect fit.
Plus on the second power-play unit he would be a wonderful asset given that no teams really know what to expect, and if the Maple Leafs can set up a system to feed him the puck at the left circle then we could see a brand new weapon in the lineup.
He would also be cheaper and arguably better than someone like a Steven Lorentz, who is a bit overpaid for what he's offering. That would give the team a bit more flexibility and still have a very reliable body in the lineup.
Chayka is all about the numbers, and should be taking a long look at Lettieri once the season is over because he's one of the best players that no one knows about.
Though it's about time they did.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Auston Matthews has put the Maple Leafs on notice and the offseason just got a clear deadline
Auston Matthews has put the Maple Leafs on notice and the offseason just got a clear deadline
Previously on Hockey Patrol