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Bruins waive three ahead of preseason finale |
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Ty Anderson
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With just one preseason game left on the warm-up slate, the roster cuts continued for the Bruins on Friday, with three players placed on waivers for the purpose of an AHL assignment.
Up front, and just the latest of what will be more waiver moves up front, the Bruins placed Vinni Lettieri on waivers in an attempt to sneak him down to AHL Providence.
In action for two games this preseason, Lettieri had four shots on goal, three hits, and won five of his six battles at the dot. But Lettieri was also called for two penalties, and credited with two giveaways over that two-game sample.
Acquired from Wild during the 2024 NHL Draft in a trade that allowed the Bruins to move up in the fourth round (and at the expense of Jakub Lauko), Lettieri is back for what is his second run with the Bruins after making a career-high 46 appearances for the Wild a season ago.
With the Wild, Lettieri posted five goals and nine points, and established career-highs in hits (53) and blocked shots (27). Overall, Lettieri has scored 12 goals and 27 points in 129 career NHL games between Minnesota, Boston, Anaheim, and the Rangers.
On the point, the Bruins made one cut, with defenseman Jordan Oesterle also placed on waivers.
In action for two games this preseason, the 32-year-old Oesterle had an assist and three shots on goal.
Assuming that he clears waivers and reports to Providence, the left-shooting defender is probably the first man up from the minors in the event of multiple injuries on Boston’s left-side defense corps. Oesterle has plenty of experience to his name, too, with 371 games of NHL work to his name since 2014-15, including 22 games with the Flames last season.
Oesterle’s cut from camp leaves Ian Mitchell and Billy Sweezey as the last men standing behind Parker Wotherspoon outside of the B’s projected six on the backend.
And in a camp that’s been almost completely focused on what’s happening in goal — both on the ice and off the ice with the Jeremy Swayman saga dragging on throughout camp — the B’s have placed Michael DiPietro on waivers for the purpose of sending him down to the minors.
Given the net for two appearances this preseason, DiPietro made 22 saves on 25 shots faced, good for an .880 save percentage for the club, and found himself in theory bumped down the depth chart following Boston’s successful waiver claim on goaltender Jiri Patera from Vancouver.
Acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Jack Studnicka to Vancouver, DiPietro has posted a 19-9-2 record and .919 save percentage over two seasons of work with the P-Bruins.