New York signed of their restricted free agents Wednesday. No, it wasn't Pavel Buchnevich or Brendan Lemieux or Tony DeAngelo, rather Vinni Lettieri who was signed. We all wait patiently for July 29, which is Buch's arb hearing.
Lettieri was arbitration eligible, but elected not to file. As such, he was subject to the qualifying offer submitted by New York. That offer was $874, 125, which is likely the amount to which he was signed. (Update: 7/25 - the contract is actually for 700k and Lettieiri gets 100k if in minors with a minimum salary of 150k for the year. He is waivers eligible until he plays 25 games in the NHL during the season). That amount enables the Rangers to send him to the minors without absorbing any cap hit, since the signing was below the $1,075,000 threshold, plus he is waivers-exempt. Lettieri will be an RFA again after the season.
He could see top-six minutes in Hartford and likely will be a plug-and-play option at times in New York, if injuries arise. Lettieri strikes me as a Quad-A player - using a baseball term - who succeeds in the AHL (23 goals and 25 assists in 48 games) but either doesn't get sufficient minutes in the NHL to succeed or is unable to replicate his performance at the higher level in general (three points in 27 games) He projects to be a bottom-six forward in the NHL.
The 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase begins Friday in Plymouth, Mass. New York will have the second most prospects in the tournament with five, tied with Los Angeles, Arizona and Islanders and behind Ottawa and Colorado, who each have six. USA - K'Andre Miller and Zachary Jones. Sweden - Olaf Lindblom, Karl Henriksson and Nils Lundkvist.
One easy box checked in signing him. GM Jeff Gorton and President John Davidson still have their work cut out for them in clearing room to ink Buch, Lemieux and ADA to deals, though it's feasible that one or more them are dealt to create that cap space. Less than a week to Buch's scheduled arb date.