Maple Leafs sign Vinni Lettieri to one-year contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Vinni Lettieri to a one-year contract with an annual average value of $775,000.

The move was to bolster Toronto’s depth, with Lettieri likely to split time between the Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Lettieri, 30, is coming off a 50-point season with the Providence Bruins. A prolific producer in the AHL, Lettieri has 141 goals and 287 points in 324 games over nine AHL seasons.

On the surface, he’s a direct replacement for Alex Steeves, who took his talents to the  Boston Bruins earlier on Tuesday. Lettieri skated in 26 games with Boston last year, scoring three goals and five points.

Initially an undrafted free agent out of the NCAA in 2017, Lettieri made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in 2017-18. He never really established himself as a full-time NHLer, and would go on to join the Anaheim Ducks in 2020-21. He stayed there for two years, and even represented the United States at the 2022 World Championship.

From there, Lettieri signed with Boston the following year, where he set a new personal best of 49 points with the Providence Bruins. He’d hop over to Minnesota in 2023-24 before re-joining the Bruins the next season. In 155 NHL games, Lettieri has 15 goals and 32 points.

Toronto was busy signing depth players on Tuesday, inking Dakota Mermis, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Travis Boyd and Michael Pezzetta to deals. The team has yet to get a proper offensive replacement for Mitch Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights prior to the start of free agency.

The Maple Leafs are looking to bounce back after getting knocked out of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second time in three years. It’s unclear whether or not Lettieri will have much NHL involvement this coming season. But at a league minimum price, it was worth signing him for the AHL experience alone.