One of the biggest training camp battles that faced the Boston Bruins this year was how the backup goaltending situation would play out. Was Joonas Korpisalo going to win the job again, or was Michael DiPietro going to unseat him?
Both players have made their case, but there is one dilemma facing the Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney. DiPietro would need to clear waivers if he's sent to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL), and that's not a guarantee.
First-year head coach Marco Sturm laid out a path as to how the goaltending situation might shake out this year in another season that has a compact schedule because of the Olympic Break in February. Will they keep three goalies?
“We need him. If you look at the schedule, and I said it before, if you look at the schedule, we need all the guys, and especially our goalies, two for sure,” said Sturm. “There will be not one guy playing eight games in a row. That’s not going to happen. It’s going to be both of them. They have to carry us and that’s why I’m very happy that we have two goalies and even with Michael DiPietro, three goalies like that we can rely on.”
Bruins facing roster decision between the pipes
Late last season, it was well documented that Korpisalo was frustrated about his limited playing time in 2024-25. He went 11-10-3 in 27 games with a 2.90 goals against average and a .893 save percentage. Those numbers were an improvement from his numbers the previous season with the Ottawa Senators, but that's not saying much.
After Boston signed Jermey Swayman to a huge contract, just how many games did Korpisalo think he was going to play? Now the question is, when it comes to the roster, do the Black and Gold keep two or three goalies? That's a tough decision, as keeping three limited numbers in another area that they can't really afford. One will likely have to be sent to the AHL.
They can place DiPietro on waivers and cross their fingers he doesn't get claimed, as you would think most teams have their goaltending situation figured out with the regular season beginning next week. Regardless, this is going to be a very interesting decision facing the Bruins. If he is placed on waivers for assignment to the AHL, Sturm seems confident he'll clear and remain in the organization.