The Wild recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from AHL Iowa today, per a team announcement. Minnesota sent forward Vinni Lettieri to Iowa in a corresponding move to remain under the Upper Limit of the salary cap.
Mermis, 29, has appeared in 20 games for the Wild since signing as a free agent in 2020, recording two goals and three assists in 15:30 of average ice time. After clearing waivers, the Wild recalled Mermis early this season as injuries struck their blueline, playing him in a career-high 13 contests. After notching his only five points as a member of the Wild and recording a -1 rating, the Wild placed Mermis on waivers again in November, shortly after the return of captain Jared Spurgeon from injury, officially assigning him to Iowa less than a week later.
He’s only appeared in four games for Iowa since his November demotion. The left-shot defender has one assist, a -1 rating and 12 penalty minutes after recording 26 points in 63 games for Iowa last season. While Spurgeon likely won’t miss any time after departing yesterday’s win over the Blackhawks with an apparent lower-body injury, recent trade acquisition Zach Bogosian is banged up and likely to miss time on their upcoming Pacific Division road trip with an upper-body injury. With Bogosian not headed for long-term injured reserve, the Wild only have sufficient cap space for one extra player – meaning they’ll carry 12 forwards and seven defensemen for the trip instead of 13 forwards and six defensemen.
This is Letteri’s second demotion of the season after clearing waivers last month. The 28-year-old had played in two out of three games since his subsequent call-up on November 28, sitting as a healthy scratch against the Blackhawks yesterday and playing a limited role when in the lineup. A point-per-game threat in the minors, Lettieri has averaged 10:43 through 13 NHL appearances this season with two goals and one assist. The Minnesota-born center has 96 NHL games under his belt, dating back to the 2017-18 season with the Rangers, and remains a high-end AHL talent in his prime.
The Wild did not need to expose Lettieri to waivers because he had been on the NHL roster for less than 30 days and played less than 10 games since he cleared last month.