2017 NHL Draft: DiPietro is the Best 2017 Goalie, Despite No Medal

Windsor Spitfires goaltender Michael DiPietro reaches to make a second period save during Ontario Hockey League action against Saginaw at the WFCU Centre on October 1, 2015.

Photo Courtesy: JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star

2017 NHL DRAFT – The 2015 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge featured quite a few good goalies, but none were better than Canada Red’s Michael DiPietro. His play topped any goalie among the 6 nations competing in the tournament, even though Canada Red did not medal after they lost in the bronze medal game against Russia.

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Michael DiPietro, no relation to Rick, is an Amherstburg, Ontario native who is currently playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, the team that drafted him 23rd overall in the 2nd round of the 2015 OHL Draft.

Along with Gabe Vilardi, who went 2nd overall in the 2015 draft, the Windsor Spitfires are proving they did their homework and have picked up two potential NHL young guns.

DiPietro has played 5 games with the club since being drafted in April. He has accumulated an outstanding 1.77 goals against average and .943 save percentage in those five games. Obviously that is an extremely small sample size, but in the games he has played he has shown the promise that he can keep that kind of play going for starters length to the season.

The 2015 U17 HC allowed the world to see his fine skills in the crease.

For a goalie that isn’t the biggest of his draft class, he sure seems to cover a lot of the net. His movement isn’t forced and he controls his rebounds extremely well. If someone is going to score on Michael DiPietro, they’re going to have to work for it.

That is how Canada Red found themselves down in this tournament. Teams that weren’t expected to come at them with challenging offenses, like Sweden and Russia, startle the defense of Canada Red, leading to uncontested shots by their opponents while they storm the net.

Looking at the teams that DiPietro did beat, like Finland and Canada Black, those were much more powerful and successful offenses that he managed to keep out of the net.

And in the OHL, DiPietro has been just as good. After losing his first game of the season and giving up 3 goals to the Sudbury Wolves, DiPietro soared back and won his next 4 games without allowing more than 2 goals against. One of his better games came against the Kitchener Rangers. A team that has been one of the best, if not THE best, all-around offenses in the OHL.

DiPietro brought the clutch factor that possibly wasn’t there in the World Challenge. He put the Spitfires in a position to win the entire game.

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The Spitfires recently waived Michael Giugovaz and Mario Culina will be sent down to the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL. This sets up Michael DiPietro to become the number 1 goalie for the Windsor Spitfires and he couldn’t deserve it more. DiPietro now has two full seasons to boost his draft stock for the 2017 NHL Draft.