Michael DiPietro Deserves an NHL Shot – Will the Boston Bruins Give It to Him?

Michael DiPietro Deserves an NHL Shot – Will the Boston Bruins Give It to Him?

michael Dpietro is coming off the best season of his pro career and is drawing attention as a potential UFA The Bruins have a decision to make and fast The reality is they cannot just let him walk for nothing You’re Locked On Bruins your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day What is up Bruins fans and welcome back to the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast I’m your host Ian McLaren and this is a daily show where we discuss all things spoke to be Today is Thursday 12th Thank you so much for making Lockdown Bruins your first listen every day It’s part of the Lockdown Podcast Network your team every day And today we are discussing the Michael DPRO situation It was reported yesterday by Kevin Weekes that the 26-year-old is drawing a lot of attention as a potential unrestricted free agent We’re going to talk about who he is why teams are interested the Bruins ending picture and organizational pressure and also some options for the Bruins and finally my take on everything Before we get into all that a quick reminder You can find the podcast on social media locked NHL Bruins You can find me my hockey thoughts and dad jokes at Ian C McLaren I am a lifelong Boston Bruins fan and I’ve been covering this team and the NHL for various for about 20 years now So on Wednesday hockey analyst and former NHL goalender Kevin Weekes posted on X that our boy Michael DPro is a lot of interest on the open market as a potential unrestricted free agent and he wrote specifically “Allar G DPro has opened plenty of eyes and is seen as the top available among group six free agents Plenty of NHL clubs I’ve spoken with have expressed their interest in him.” # hockeyx and he’s drawing interest for very good reason He was exceptional for the Providence Bruins this past season Let’s go back a little bit though He was drafted 64th overall third round by the Vancouver Conucks in 2017 and he was a star junior goalie for the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL In 2017 he won a Memorial Cup and earned the Hap M’s Memorial Trophy as top goalender The year after he was a goalie of the year in the OHL and posted career OHL stats of a 232 goals against average 2.32 with a 918 save percentage over 174 games He was a very highly touted goalie coming out of junior and he even played uh for team Canada at the World Juniors uh you know in a starting role Now he again was drafted by the Canucks and didn’t quite get the opportunity there that he had hoped for and therefore had made a request to be moved at some point so that he could um kind of move up in terms of the depth chart on another club And therefore a couple years ago he was traded to Boston in the Jax Stadika deal And he was initially viewed as an A8L depth option behind uh Branducey who was a also highly touted goalender for um the Boston Bruins and their AHL affiliate Just going back to the World Juniors uh in four games in the 2019 World Junior Championship DPro went 2-2 but with a 951 save percentage and a 1.23 goals against average So exceptional numbers there at the international level This came after being cut from the team in 2018 This was the 2019 tournament Canada unfortunately was bounced in the quarters that year by Finland in a 2-1 overtime game but he was fantastic in that tournament He also appeared for Canada at the 2021 World Championships uh and was on the gold medal roster uh that year as well All this came before his time with the Bruins And this past season he was an AHL All-Star and winner of the Baz Bastion Award as the AHL’s best goalender 2510 and five record with a 2.05 goals against average a 927 save percentage with five shutouts and he is being eyed as a potential free agent signing by multiple teams as he hits group six free agent status And that means that a player who meets specific criteria allows them to become an unrestricted free agent meaning they can sign with any team without their previous team having the right to match an offer You have to be 25 years or older which he is It’s 26 Player must have completed three or more pro seasons uh which he has He’s played for the Abbottzford Canucks and the Providence Bruins uh since well and the Udica Comets dating back to 201920 You also have to have played less than 28 NHL games as a goalie So he meets that criteria and therefore can become an unrestricted free agent uh as of July 1st And again Kevin Weekes saying DPro opened a lot of eyes this past season He will command a lot of attention He was pretty good um for the Providence Bruins even last year with a record of uh 189 and two a 2.51 goals against average and a 918 save percentage Now don’t forget Brandon Busy was supposed to be the guy that was going to uh rise up and perhaps challenge for the backup role after Lenus was traded The Bruins of course acquired Unis Corpalo keeping both Busy and DPro in the AHL Busy is also an unrestricted free agent So the Bruins risk losing both of their AHL goalies here and both are seemingly capable of at least challenging for the backup role with the Boston Bruins or with another NHL team So there are some options here And that brings us to again the Bruins goalending picture and what is at stake here as free agency looms And we’ll discuss that here as the podcast continues If you are looking for a snack that is both delicious and nutritious you need to crack into a good source of protein with wonderful pistachios Wonderful Pistachios is one of the highest protein nuts and each 1 oz serving has six grams of protein giving you over 10% of your daily value Plus they’re packed with fiber and better for you unsaturated fats to help keep you feeling fuller longer Personally I love the No Shells variety It’s the perfect graband-go snack for busy days Whether I’m snacking at my desk on a road trip or just need a quick protein boost they’re always my go-to We also sneak them to our kids when they’re playing video games so that we can give them a healthy snack They don’t even realize uh how good it is for them If you love cracking open every shell for that satisfying crunch The inshell options are also a classic favorite Get snacking Get cracking with the snack that packs a protein punch Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more Thank you so much once again for making Lockdown Bruins part of your daily routine available on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube All you have to do is hit that subscribe button and each new episode will be automatically added to your feeds And today we’re discussing the Michael DPro conundrum a very talented goalie who is seemingly hitting his stride and the Bruins really can’t afford to just let him walk for nothing even if he remains buried in the um organization behind Jeremy Swayman and Unisalo for the time being at least and of course Jeremy Swayman signed a long-term deal last year a down season but he remains the undisputed number one going forward And there’s a lot of belief that um Marco Sturm with a renewed focus on defensive structure and pushing the puck up the ice will indeed help Jeremy Swayman’s game So he’s locked in as the number one No question It gets a bit trickier after that Unusposal has three years left at a $3 million AAV and that was with him being acquired from the Ottawa Senators last summer and Ottawa retaining 25% of that deal That was with Lenus Olmark going to Ottawa in exchange for the 25th overall pick which ended up being Dean Lerno Mark Castellic who has since been resigned and will kind of fill that Trent Frederick hole that was left when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers And uh yeah Corbos he had uh some moments last season but he’s been relatively inconsistent over the past two seasons looked pretty good at times for the Bruins and there was an argument perhaps for him to play more with Jeremy Swayman struggling but he could indeed be shopped to free up some cap space or to open up a backup spot Now in terms of shopping unisposal that might be a bit of a tough sell and you very well may have to offer a bit of a sweetener in order to make it happen Say for example Boston trades Ununus Corbasalo and a third fourth round pick or a B-level prospect to a team like Arizona or Chicago The Bruins could open up 3 million in cap space The rebuilding team can use Corbos as a stop gap starter or flip him later and the Bruins could get a minor league player or future considerations in return Uh you could perhaps use Corbasalo trade him for a middle six forward or bottom pair defenseman on a similar cap hit could help both teams fill a roster gap while balancing money If the Bruins want to reallocate cap from a goalie to forwards this could potentially work shortterm Another option would be trading for a veteran goalie on an expiring contract or a shorter term deal Uh but that wouldn’t necessarily you know resolve the issue of giving DPro an opportunity to play at the a NHL level Uh the Bruins could get a stable option and the receiving team would buy low on a goalie they can flip later or use while rebuilding But either way it’s going to be a bit of a tough sell Corbos doesn’t have any no trade protection So Boston does have full flexibility and maybe late June into mid July there’ll be some movement on the goalie market or maybe you make him part of a larger multiplayer trade or a draft weekend uh maneuver These are all potential options for Unis Corbasala but it could be a bit of a tough move because he does have three years remaining on his contract the acquiring team would be taking on $3 million per season over the next three years and uh maybe the Bruins have to offer offer a sweetener or retain some salary on their own in order to free that up Now DPro is an unrestricted free agent as is Brandon Busy He was used uh more than DPro in NHL call-ups but it’s very small sample size for both Question marks with both guys but also some upside Do you let one of them walk and bank on another Do you trade We’ll discuss some of the options coming up but that is the situation You have Swayman Corbasalo and then DPro and Busy both as proven AHL performers pending unrestricted free agents and a decision to make on both Now the Bruins did recently sign Simon Zazichek or Zach Zaz yeah Zazich to a uh one-year entrylevel deal He’s a 20-year-old Czech goalie who posted strong numbers in the Swedish J20 league Bit of a development project not a contender for the NHL or maybe even the AHL starting role yet but um if one of these guys is promoted to the NHL or only one is retained then you’d have say Busy Zichek as the AHL tandem with Swayman DPro uh Corpusal have another option Well we’ll discuss the options here in a moment Let’s not get ahead of ourselves If both Busy and DPro leave the Bruins would be pretty thin behind Swayman and Corposal Zichek isn’t ready for a major role yet DPro remains Boston’s best internal backup option say both those guys walk then you would have to sign another goalie to play down at the AHL level So what are the options here Well let’s take a look at four or five of them plus my take here as the podcast continues We’re keying in here on DPro specifically because he’s been the one reported to have interest I’m sure Busy would have some interest as well but DPro the rating AHL goalie of the year and seemingly primed for at least a backup role at the NHL level So perhaps you resign DPro offer a two-way or one-way deal depending on your plan for Corpusalo Maybe it’s two-way in year one and then one way in years two and three giving you some time to figure things out He would provide NHL capable depth and continuity for Providence and also be an immediate callup if there were injuries to Swayman or Corposal That would be the ideal situation I believe is to retain his rights You cannot just let him walk You could trade his rights though Explore a returner from a team looking to sign him before July 1st Even a late round pick or a prospect is better than nothing And we know that prior to July 1 teams can trade a player’s rights to another team and it gives the acquiring team negotiating rights until July 1st when the player can become an unrestricted free agent So just like Boston can sign him at any point before July 1st the acquiring team could also um get his rights and have that negotiating window before July 1st And again getting anything in return is better than letting him walk for nothing which is another option Just let him walk You potentially rely on Busy if resigned or bring in a different veteran backup Uh Zichek isn’t NHL ready Uh and the depth certainly will take a hit You’d also trade Unis Basalo make cap space and create a clear backup path for Michael Dpietro Could be challenging but could open up longterm flexibility Now another option for Corboso is to simply place him on waiverss and send him to the AHL while resigning DPRO and promoting him to backup If he clears waiverss which he most likely would his cap hit is mostly buried and it’s not necessarily ideal but it creates room for DPro and protects NHL net depth while also freeing up a bit of cap space by burying Corpusal in the AHL And again you could package him in a deal for a similarly priced forward or defenseman effectively reallocating the cap Uh or trade him with or without a sweetener so that if DPro is resigned he’s positioned to compete for the backup role These are all options for what to do with um Michael Dietro and the goalending situation here coming up in less than a month This all has to be resolved by July 1st or they risk him signing with another team uh and walking as a free agent for nothing Where do I stand on all of this Well I do believe that DPro has earned a shot and should be resigned as either Providence starter with kind of being the next man up or as NHL backup if you are indeed able to trade Unis Basalo or you want to just bury him in the NHL by placing him on waiverss If the Bruins can’t trade him they must consider waiverss or maybe even carrying three goalies temporarily Letting DPro walk especially without a strong succession plan and also with the possibility of losing Busy would just be pretty poor asset management Look Michael Dpietro has elevated his game to a new level proving he’s no longer just AHL depth He’s a legit legitimate NHL caliber goalender and after a dominant 2024-25 season in Providence where he posted a 927 save percentage and earned goalie of the year honors He can become an unrestricted free agent and he’s drawing widespread attention across the NHL Multiple teams expressing interest The Bruins have helped develop him into a high value asset are suddenly faced with a critical choice Make room for him in their NHL plans or risk losing him for nothing and watching him succeed in another city Now he is 26 not really a spring chicken but not necessarily too young to hit as well as an NHL goalender Same with Brandon Busy For me I’ve been higher on DP Pro He was more highly touted in junior seen as a pretty bankable prospect when he was drafted Um and on paper it sounds simple keep the breakout performer But Boston’s crease is anything but simple right now Jeremy Swam is the unquestioned number one set for a long-term Behind him it’s a bit chaotic Corpusal is under contract for three more years at a $3 million AAV1 million being absorbed by the Ottawa Senators And while the Bruins could try to trade him his inconsistent play and hefty cap hit make that challenging Brandon Busy another pending UFA hasn’t separated himself as a clearly NHL ready goalender and newly signed prospect Simon Zichek though promising is still a few years away at least from contributing at the NHL level So that puts even more urgency on the DPro decision Don Sweeney does have several options Resign DPro to a two-way or even one-way deal depending on what they do with Corposalo They could try to trade his rights before July 1 try to recoup a late pick or prospect or worst case they just let him walk and lose a goalie they have developed over the past few years at a time when their goalending depth is pretty thin at best The Corposal factor does loom large He expressed discontent with his playing time this season He and Swayman were not Swayman and Mark in terms of being best buds brothers Um if the Bruins can find a trade partner maybe with a sweetener a cap offset move it could open the door for DPRO to take over as backup If not Boston has to consider a more drastic move like placing Corposalo on waiverss burying part of his salary in the AHL far from ideal but DPro has played well enough to justify the shakeup He’s younger could potentially be around longer than Corbasalo and while he may not have the opportunity to become an NHL starter it could become at least uh semi unbalanced tandem situation especially if Swayman doesn’t recover his game This isn’t about contracts or call-ups It’s about setting the tone for the next phase of Bruins goending Letting a breakout talent like DPRO walk while holding on to an underperforming overperfed veteran overpaid veteran would send the wrong message about internal development and roster building And how the Bruins handle this situation won’t just impact next season It could shake their makeup of the crease for years to come I am pro ressign Michael Dpietro even at the expense of Corposalu if it means waving him whatever Keep the younger guy keep the guy with more upside and signal to younger players that they do have an opportunity to advance here in the Boston Bruins organization Let me know what you think Hit me up in the YouTube comments Hit me up on X Blue Sky Instagram What would you do with Michael Dpietro Resign Say have fun Take your talents elsewhere Um if they lose both DPro and busy what are the options Um it’s going to be a very interesting few weeks for the Bruins with the draft and free agency And it even goes down as far as third and fourth goalenders on this team It’s going to be a very interesting uh decision ahead Now one guy that will not be available who has long been rumored as a potential Bruin is Chris Krider Uh Larry Brooks of the New York Post reporting that he has signed off on a trade to Anaheim and he will be joining Jacob Trouba as Rangers castoffs out there in California So strike Krider off the list Maybe that puts Mika Zabanagad in play Um who knows We’ll see how things shake out here as the offseason continues But Chris Krider is going to be a duck Not on Boston’s wish list anymore That’s it for today’s episode of Locked On Boston Bruins my friends Game three of the Stanley Cup final goes tonight Be sure to check out NHL Game Night every game every night until a Stanley Cup champion is crowned Locked on NHL game night provides local analysis on a national scale You can find it on the Locked On NHL YouTube channel or wherever you listen to podcasts It’s all part of the Lockdown Podcast Network your team every day Please do take care of yourselves take care of each other and we’ll talk to you again here on the next episode of Locked On Boston Bruins

Michael DiPietro, coming off a stellar season with the Providence Bruins, is drawing attention as a potential UFA. The podcast explores DiPietro’s background, his impressive AHL performance, and the Bruins’ goaltending situation. Host Ian McLaren discusses options for the Bruins, including re-signing DiPietro, trading his rights, or potentially moving Linus Ullmark to make room. The episode delves into the complexities of Boston’s goaltending depth, with Jeremy Swayman as the undisputed number one and Ullmark’s future uncertain. McLaren advocates for retaining DiPietro, emphasizing the importance of rewarding internal development and setting the tone for the Bruins’ future in net.

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