Owls' Quick Draft Hits: Michael DiPietro
#Michael DiPietro: Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
I had to delay the writing of this article because there was a relatively large chance that Michael DiPietro might be bringing home some hardware, and having just won the Memorial cup with the Windsor Spitfires while also winning the Memorial Cup’s most outstanding goaltender and all-star team awards, Michael DiPietro (of no relation to Rick) has just accomplished one of the hardest feats for a CHLer to achieve – and he did it as a starting goaltender pre-draft year with serious aplomb, which makes it even more impressive.
Ranked fourth in NA by NHL Central scouting, this 6’ backstopper stormed onto the scene in the OHL last season as he took home Windsor’s rookie of the year nomination while he stole the crease from a variety of possible options Windsor had and ran with it into this season, putting up great numbers at the Ivan Hlinka and solidifying himself as the true starter on the Spits. He’s an aggressive goalie who plays his angles high at the top of the crease and relies on strong legs and edges to keep himself from getting trapped out far from his posts, handle dekes, play laterally, and recover from the ground quickly and without losing shot position – in fact, his puck sense (reading plays and projecting where the shot will come from) is very refined for such a young goaltender, so he’s almost never facing a shot without being square to the shooter (a particularly critical skill for a goaltender who might never have the ‘elite’ height that so many NHLers are looking for). Rebound control is another strength, though it’s hard to tell if that’s a skill that will scale well as shooters get better or if he just looks amazing because he’s far above the level of CHL shooters.
DiPietro’s shown an ability to steal games and step up huge when the pressure is on, becoming unbeatable and making highlight reel saves when he’s really in his groove, as his recent Memorial cup final appearance showed -- definitely an attractive trait if it’s NHL-projectable. He’s shown poise in the crease whether he’s getting absolutely shelled or seeing almost no rubber, and keeps an even keel after goals.
The largest hole in DiPietro’s game is his puck-handling, where he doesn’t kickstart the transition game or act as another break-out option like so many NHL teams are looking for, the multi-threat goaltender that makes many defensive systems so much more dangerous. This isn’t a death knell, but it might make him less attractive.
In terms of NHL projections, I think the best example of a hyper athletic, hyper aggressive butterfly goaltender in the NHL right now is Jonathan Quick, and I think the comparison here is particularly apt because just like Quick, Michael’s shown intense focus and incredible play when he’s really at the peak of his game and feeling his crease well, and the perfect example of that in the NHL is Quick’s Conn Smythe playoff run.
Previous Quick Hits:
Posted Jun 1, 2017, 3:15 AM UTC