David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins know they are in for a crucial NHL season. Regardless of it being his first season in charge, new head coach Marco Sturm is determined to right the ship in Beantown. On that note, a decision has to be made about one young player in the organization.
Michael DiPietro has been around the Bruins for almost three years, yet still hasn’t made his NHL debut with Boston. To say the 26-year-old is in a race against the clock to impress Sturm and the Spoked B would be an understatement.
According to reports, DiPietro is the odd man out in the Bruins’ current three-headed goaltending room. Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo are expected to headline the tandem between the pipes, leaving Boston at a complex situation with the former Vancouver Canucks’ draft selection.
“The Boston Bruins and goalie Michael DiPietro face an inevitable outcome,” as reported by Heavy. “The 26-year-old netminder will have to hit waivers at some point this season if the club sends him down to the AHL.”
Anticipation
Around the NHL, rumors are swirling around uncontrollably. Every front office across the continent knows three is a crowd when it comes to goaltenders on an active roster. The clock is ticking for Boston, and many potential suitors are anxiously waiting for the seemingly imminent decision.
“I think this week is gonna be one of the more interesting weeks on the waiver wire to see which goalies get there and when,” Elliotte Friedman commented on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. “There’s at least two goalies…do they get traded beforehand, Michael DiPietro and Clay Stevenson?”
Sooner or later
The Bruins might have second thoughts about placing DiPietro on waivers, as there’s a slim chance he actually clears them, and can be assigned to the AHL Providence Bruins. However, Boston should’ve though that earlier.
DiPietro has been in the organization since October 2022, and hasn’t played once at TD Garden. It might be time for the Spoked B to move on. However, accepting a trade didn’t work out, and losing a still relatively young talent for nothing may be a pill too hard to swallow.
Plan B
There is an alternative for Sturm and the Bruins, though. However, it involves parting ways with either Swayman or Korpisalo. Regardless, both goalies are secured for the foreseeable future.
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Swayman is signed until the summer of 2032 on a deal that includes a full no-movement clause (NMC) starting in 2028, which converts into a 10-team approved trade list in 2030. Meanwhile, Korpisalo’s contract carries a modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) with a 10-team no-trade list. This plan might be a non-starter, altogether. It appears the cure would prove worse than the disease.