Minnesota Wild Acquires Forward Jakub Lauko from the Boston Bruins In Exchange for Forward Vinni Lettieri

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired forward Jakub Lauko and the 122nd pick in this year’s NHL Draft (Aron Kiviharju) from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Vinni Lettieri and the 110th pick in this year’s NHL Draft.

Lauko, 24 (3/28/00), recorded 10 points (2-8=10) and 32 penalty minutes (PIM) in 60 games with Boston last season. The 6-foot, 196-pound native of Prague, Czech Republic, made his NHL debut with Boston on October 12, 2022 against Washington, and has collected 17 points (6-11=17) and 43 PIM in 82 games with the Bruins. Lauko has also tallied 61 points (23-38=61), 166 PIM and four power-play goals (PPG) in 134 career American Hockey League (AHL) games over four seasons (2019-23) with the Providence Bruins. He spent the 2018-19 season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he recorded 41 points (21-20=41), 43 PIM and a plus-34 rating in 44 games and helped the Huskies claim the QMJHL President’s Cup and the Memorial Cup.

The left-shot forward has skated in 12 IIHF World Junior Championship games with Czechia (2018, 2019 and 2020), recording three points (2-1=3) and 10 PIM. Lauko also skated in the Under-18 IIHF World Championship in 2018 and posted six points (3-3=6) and eight PIM in seven games. He won a silver-medal with Czechia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2017 and scored four goals in five games. He was originally selected by Boston in the third round (77th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Lettieri, 29 (2/6/95), tallied nine points (5-4=9) in 46 games with Minnesota and collected eight points (4-4=8) in 10 games with the Iowa Wild last season. He has collected 27 points (12-15=27) and 44 PIM in 129 NHL games over six seasons with the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Boston and Minnesota.