Bruins hit with another injury ahead of trip to Toronto

Forward Vinni Lettieri‘s first Bruins recall ended before it even really started.

One of two recalls from Providence in Boston for a Tuesday practice ahead of the team’s trip up to Toronto for a Wednesday night head-to-head with the Maple Leafs, an apparent lower-body injury took Lettieri out of practice early and has ruled him out for Wednesday night’s showdown.

“Unfortunately, [it’s a] lower-body [injury],” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed following Tuesday’s practice session at Warrior Ice Arena. “Not traveling with the team, so he won’t be available [Wednesday] night.”

This isn’t just precautionary, either, as Lettieri was also spotted on crutches following practice.

• It’s an absolute bummer of an update from the Bruins, and hits the 27-year-old Lettieri with some bad news with the 27-year-old arguably at the top of his pro game.

  In action for 41 games with AHL Providence at the time of his NHL recall, Lettieri led all P-Bruins in both goals (16) and points (37). Lettieri’s 16 goals came with a four-goal edge over second-leading scorer (Justin Brazeau), while his 37 points gave him 11-point cushion over Georgii Merkulov in the No. 2 spot on the leaderboard.

  Lettieri’s 37 points also ranked 23rd among all AHLers this season at the time of his recall, and was slated to represent Providence in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic up in Quebec along with goaltender Brandon Bussi.

  A veteran of 82 career NHL games between the Rangers and Ducks, Lettieri’s longest NHL look came last season, as he put up five goals and 10 points in a 31-game run with Anaheim.

  The Minnesota-born Lettieri has totaled seven goals and 18 points, along with 112 hits and 35 blocked shots, while averaging 11:39 per game over his 82-game NHL run.

  Prior to his injury, Lettieri was projected to skate on the wing of Boston’s fourth line if he drew into action.

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  NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 05: Vinni Lettieri #95 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 05, 2022 in New York City. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

• With Lettieri out, and based off the practice lines Tuesday at Warrior Ice Arena, it’s almost a guarantee that Jakub Lauko will skate on the right wing on Boston’s fourth line.

  Lauko has five goals and 10 points over his last 12 AHL games dating back to Dec. 31, and has totaled a career-high goals and plus-11 rating in 29 games with the P-Bruins since his demotion back in November.

  “I think the last month, [my play] in a place that I want it to be,” Lauko said Tuesday. “I’m playing to my standard now and hopefully I’ll transfer that here and do my best.”

  The 22-year-old Lauko has one goal and one assist in seven NHL games this season.

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  Oct 18, 2022; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins center Jakub Lauko (94) skates during warmup prior to game against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers/USA TODAY Sports)

• On a lineup configuration front, the calls to Providence will reconfigure the Black and Gold’s bottom-six grouping, with Nick Foligno expected to skate on the left wing on a line with Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith, while Trent Frederic will man the middle of Boston’s fourth line with A.J. Greer and Lauko.

  Up top, the Bruins are expected to reunite David Pastrnak with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, while David Krejci will center a line with Taylor Hall and Pavel Zacha on the wings.

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  NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 05: Anton Stralman #36 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 05, 2022 in New York City. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

• And in the ‘could be something, could be nothing’ department, defenseman Anton Stralman is currently listed on the Bruins’ official roster online.

  Stralman, who was placed on waivers and assigned to Providence in late November, has not been on the team’s NHL roster since then, and has played in two games with the P-Bruins this season.

  This could be a simple error on the part of the roster page, or the Bruins could have decided to recall Stralman from the minors just to have a backup backup behind seventh defenseman Jakub Zboril for this one-game trip.