The Bruins got the best news they could have asked for on Monday when Michael DiPietro went unclaimed through waivers, meaning that he will be reporting to the Providence Bruins. He was placed on waivers after the last round of cuts on Sunday, after training camp wrapped up.
DiPietro and Joonas Korpisalo were the two goalies in training camp who were fighting for the backup goaltender spot behind Jeremy Swayman. Korpisalo ended up beating DiPietro for that position. This meant the Bruins had to risk losing him to waivers, but had to take the risk at the end of training camp.
Teams had just 24 hours to claim DiPietro off waivers, and it is shocking that no one did. There were three main teams showing interest: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, and Carolina Hurricanes. No teams actually claimed DiPietro, as they had found their own fixes or did not have the space on the NHL team for DiPietro. He was one of only three goalies who were placed on waivers after the end of training camp for all teams.
With no teams claiming DiPietro off waivers, the Bruins were able to send him back down to the Providence Bruins.
Why Is this Good For The Bruins?
DiPietro not getting claimed off waivers is the best thing for the Bruins, as it gives them goalie depth. He will be able to come up if either Swayman or Korpisalo goes down with an injury. DiPietro clearing waivers means that the risk the Bruins took putting him there paid off. In addition to being available for call-up due to injury, he would also be available if, for some reason, Korpisalo or Swayman had a rough start to the season and the Bruins decided they needed a fresh start.
While DiPietro did not have the best training camp, he is still a solid goaltender who has very much NHL potential. If it would of made sense to keep all three goaltenders, the Bruins would have, but it did not. However, it is just not feasible as even if Swayman or Korpisalo went 2 games in a row, they would just be able to sit the next two as the other went in.
He will once again be the starter for the Providence Bruins, coming off a season where he went 26-8-5 with a 2.05 goals against average and .927 save percentage, as well as the AHL goalie of the year. The Bruins signed him to a two-year, $1.625 million deal, which expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The Bruins will now have an added sense of security on top of a great youth goaltender that was not the one who got away, like many great young players have become due to waivers.