The Boston Bruins could face another goalie controversy this upcoming season. The official tandem heading into the season figures to be Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo. There’s little room to doubt that will be the case.
But there’s a third goalie who could push Swayman and Korpisalo: Michael DiPietro. A couple of seasons ago, DiPietro was somewhat of an afterthought. He had failed to impress in Vancouver and found himself on the outs.
The Bruins brought DiPietro in. While he didn’t shine straight off the bat, he eventually rounded into form. DiPietro has had two great AHL seasons, launching him into the conversation for an NHL job.
Boston, unfortunately, cannot carry three goalies. While the team technically could, it’s not feasible. So, the situation has come to the point where the Bruins must either play or trade Michael DiPietro.
The Bruins’ situation is reminiscent of the one the Canucks faced with Arturs Silovs. Silovs was the Calder Cup MVP this past season. But Vancouver’s high-priced tandem of Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen left Silovs in the dark.
The Canucks ended up moving Silovs as there was no room for him at the NHL level. That parallel is a situation the Bruins must deal with.
Now, let’s assume the Bruins are dead-set on keeping Swayman. That means the choice will come down to Korpisalo or DiPietro. As such, GM Don Sweeney must pick one over the other. The choice, however, would not be an easy one.
DiPietro could make Korpisalo expendable in Bruins’ depth chart
A solid training camp by DiPietro could make Korpisalo expendable in the Bruins’ depth chart. Unless the wheels completely fall off Swayman or he gets injured, there is room for only one backup. That role could do to DiPietro if he outplays Korpisalo.
Additionally, chatter around the league says that Korpisalo wants to be a starter. But with Swayman entrenched as the number-one guy in Boston, there isn’t much room for Korpisalo to start.
If that’s the case, could DiPietro pave the way for a Korpisalo trade? It’s something the Bruins must at least think about, considering the number of teams out there looking for goalie help. The Edmonton Oilers have been the most notorious case. But there could be other teams looking to add. For instance, the Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, and Pittsburgh Penguins could be looking to land a reliable goalie moving forward.
All told, the Bruins have options. The easiest course of action would be to keep DiPietro in Providence for one more season while the club sees what it can do about Korpisalo. But if Boston gets off to a rough start, Don Sweeney could be compelled to make a big move sooner rather than later. A second selloff could spur DiPietro’s landing as Swayman's backup.