The Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild have swapped depth forwards and fourth-round picks – with Boston acquiring Vinni Lettieri and Pick 110 from the Wild for Jakub Lauko and Pick 122 (Twitter link).
This move comes as much more minor than some of the day’s blockbusters. But it could stand as one of the most memorable trades of the day, with Minnesota using Pick 122 to select star Finnish defenseman Aron Kiviharju. Kiviharju was once considered a lock for the Top 10, and maybe even the Top 5, of the 2024 NHL Draft – after breaking into Finland’s Liiga at the age of 16. He vindicated the hype through his rookie season, tallying three assists in 21 games and adjusting well to the pace of a pro game. That set Kiviharju up for what many expected to be a smash season this year, though a knee injury suffered on September 30th cut his season short before it could even get underway.
Kiviharju returned to captain Team Finland at the World U-18 Championship, recording three assists in five games an looking ready to put his injury aside. But an early end to Finland’s season kept him from playing much more. He finished his draft year with two points in seven Liiga games and tons of questions swirling around him.
But while Minnesota earns a big bet on upside with this swap, the Bruins get a bit more predictability. Lettieri served a modest role on Minnesota’s fourth line last season, working his way to nine points and 24 penalty minutes in a career-high 46 appearances. He’s now up to 27 points in the first 129 games of his NHL career – though he’s shown a knack for filling the gritty roles of a bottom-line center. He moves to Boston alongside Elliott Groenewold, who the Bruins selected at Pick 110. Groenewold also boasts plenty of predictable impact – with a tall frame and long reach making him effective at engaging in, and winning, puck battles – but a lack of explosivity keeping him from ever making too much of a spark.
Boston will hope the pair can have the anticipated effects on the NHL lineup, while Minnesota is taking a home run swing while replacing Lettieri’s role with the quaint Lauko.