Stuck in the middle of an Eastern Conference playoff race, all eyes on the Boston Bruins are locked into each game and the scoreboard each night. Things can change at any second. One minute you could be locked into a playoff spot, the next you could be on the outside looking in.
That is the way it will go until the final game of the season. Whenever that is for the Bruins, there are going to be a lot of questions going into next season. The roster won't look the same because of free agency and any trades that go down from general manager Don Sweeney.
There are going to be some tough, but very interesting decisions coming from Boston's GM. Some prospects might end up forcing the hand of Sweeney to make a move or two. One of those prospects is opening eyes on what seems like a nightly basis in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins. It's going to lead into an interesting offseason for the Black and Gold.
Bruins prospect Michael DiPietro could force Don Sweeney to make a move this summer
Since acquiring Joonas Korpisalo from the Ottawa Senators as part of the Linus Ullmark deal two summers ago, it feels like Boston fans have been waiting for Sweeney to trade the netminder. It hasn't happened. Instead, the Bruins are paying him $3 million a year to back up Jeremy Swayman. They are only paying the $3 million because the Senators are retaining $1 million from the deal.
Regardless, paying a backup $3 million is not really a great logic if we're being honest. That's where Michael DiPietro comes in. He is thriving this season for the P-Bruins and is a big part of the reason for their continued success. He is first in the AHL in wins, save percentage, and goals against average. He has 29 wins with a .931 save percentage and a 1.92 GAA.
He has proved that he has done everything he can down in the AHL to earn a spot in Boston as Swayman's backup. He is a lot cheaper option for Sweeney and head coach Marco Sturm and has proven that he is worth allowing them to move on from Korpisalo.
It is easier said than done that it happens, but keeping Korpisalo around beyond this season and keeping DiPietro buried in the AHL seems like a waste of money that could be used elsewhere to improve the roster. Every bit of money available counts for the Black and Gold.