Michael DiPietro

April 2023 – Dipietro found himself in a good situation after getting moved to the Boston farm system, backstopping a good Maine team in the ECHL, putting up a 2.61 GAA and .918 save percentage in a high-scoring league. Unfortunately for Dipietro, there are goaltending options ahead of him in Boston, as he would have to beat out the duo of Ullmark and Swayman and upcoming prospects Brandon Bussi and Kyle Keyser to get a chance. This successful season in a contract year should get him another contract opportunity to continue his road to the NHL. His track record in his limited NHL opportunities isn’t the most promising, so his ceiling is a fringe NHL backup or AHL starter, which gives him little to no fantasy upside. Nate Duffett

December 2022 – DiPietro was traded to the Boston Bruins for Jack Studnicka back in October. Since then he has been assigned to the ECHL and is playing with the Maine Mariners. The former OHL star goaltender and third round pick has seen his stock fall and is not fantasy relevant at this time. Still only 23-years-old he could still develop into an NHL goalie, but he has a long road ahead to get there. Peter Harling

March 2022 – It has been a frustrating year for the once highly touted netminder. Following a season in which he spent most of his time in the press box, DiPietro was given the reigns in Abbottsford as the starting netminder out of training camp. Unfortunately, he has struggled to stay consistent, slowly losing starts to his counterparts as the season progressed. So far, through 21 starts, he sports an 8-10-2 record, along with 2.95 goals against and a .898 save percentage. At just 22-years young, there is still ample time to work out kinks and considering his strong rookie campaign just two years ago, the benefit must be given to him putting it together. Of course, with Thatcher Demko running the show for the foreseeable future, it’s unclear when, if at all, he will get his moment to shine as a number one in Vancouver. Dave Hall

June 2021 – Prior to the Covid break, DiPietro was enjoying the perks of being a touted and developing star with the Utica Comets. He was seeing consistent minutes while posting respectable numbers as a key member between the pipes. Things changed quickly. The budding netminder spent the 2020-21 season tucked away on the Canucks Taxi Squad. He saw zero game action throughout an entire calendar year, with the exception of a brief four-game stint in Utica to wrap up the year. Yes, he went 3-1-0 in that time, yet, it is quite discouraging to miss an entire year’s worth of action at such a pivotal time in one’s growth. Additionally, the now 22-year-old took advantage of some International experience, earning a Gold Medal with Canada at this year’s WC. Again, he saw no game action acting as the team’s third-string. Do not fret, we can expect him to make up for lost time with a heavy workload in 2021-22 as Abbotsford’s starting netminder. Let’s not count out a cup of coffee down the road in Vancouver, either. Dave Hall

January 2019 – With his second shutout of the season, and first as a 67, DiPietro set a new OHL record for career goose eggs with his 17th overall. DiPietro is also inching up the all-time OHL wins list. He currently sits with 88 – only six shy of the top 10. The 19-year-old is starting to get his feet under him since the WJC disappointment. He currently sits third in the league with a 0.915 save percentage on the season. Cam Robinson

January 2019 – DiPietro represented his country with poise and dignity at the most recent WJHC. He was stellar through four contests posting a 0.952 save percentage. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Canadians fell to Finland in overtime during the Quarterfinals. DiPietro returns to the Ottawa 67’s poised for a lengthy playoff run. It will be the last of his OHL career, as the 19-year-old will be off to the professional ranks next fall. Cam Robinson

December 2018 – The reigning OHL Goaltender of the Year has come back even better in his fourth junior campaign. The 19-year-old is sporting a 0.920 save percentage and lives in the OHL top-10 for most categories. It is expected that DiPietro will be the starting netminder for the Canadians at this winter’s World Junior Championships. Where he returns to afterwards is still up in the air though. The former third-round pick is one of the league’s hottest rental options with rumours swirling of packages involving eight second-round draft picks being apart of one offer. Wherever he lands, it’ll be a playoff bound team looking to make a run. DiPietro knows a thing or two about that as he backstopped the Spits to a Memorial Cup victory as a 17-year-old in 2016-17. Cam Robinson

Mach 2018 – DiPietro finished his third OHL campaign as the league leader in shutouts with seven and ranked within the top 10 in wins (29), saves (1544), goals-against average (2.79) and save percentage (0.910). The 18-year-old has been everything for the Spitfires this season, especially after the team gutted it’s roster of all their other pieces in order to begin the rebuilding process. DiPietro has continued his dominance in the early going of the post-season as he’s backstopped the team to a 2-2 series tie against the favoured Sarnia Sting thus far on the back of a .950 save percentage. It’s almost assured that the Canucks’ third round pick will be dealt to an OHL contender at some point over the course of the next eight months and his price will be extremely high. Cam Robinson

December 2017 – DiPietro was named to Team Canada’s World Junior training camp today, and appears to be a solid bet to slide into one of the top two spots in his position. Reigning WHL goaltender of the Year and 2015-16 CHL Goaltender of the Year, Carter Hart is the odds on favourite to start for the Canadians but DiPietro should get his chances as well. The Windsor Spitfires’ netminder has been struggling a tad of late, but so has his entire team. He’s a big game goaltender and that should bode well heading into camp and pre-tournament games. Cam Robinson

November 2017 – The slightly undersized net minder is up to his old tricks to start his third OHL campaign. Through 15 contests, the 18-year-old has posted a 9-4-1 mark to go along with a 2.23 GAA and 0.930 SV%. He’s consistently been one of the top goaltenders in his age group and slots behind Thatcher Demko in what is becoming an enviable goaltender stable for the Canucks. DiPietro is the odds-on-favourite to back up Carter Hart at this winter’s World Junior Hockey Championships for Team Canada. He will also be eligible for the 2019 tournament. Cam Robinson

June 2017 – The Canucks selected the talented netminder early in the third round of the 2017 entry draft. DiPietro makes up for his less-than-ideal height with terrific athleticism and strong positioning. He battles through screens and owns some tidy rebound control. DiPietro had a strong draft season, beginning with a solid Ivan Hlinka tournament, posting a .917 save percentage over 51 regular season contests and then culminated the year by hoisting the Memorial Cup with the host Windsor Spitfires. Standing just six feet tall will put him in an uphill position to become a workhorse starting netminder at the NHL level, but DiPietro has topnotch skills and a clear desire to work for his success. Cam Robinson