Dallas Stars Draft Profile: Windsor Spitfires Goaltender Michael DiPietro
By Tom Dorsa
Up until the NHL Draft on June 23rd, the team at Blackout Dallas will be rolling out previews of the potential Dallas Stars selections. Today, we look at Michael DiPietro.
Name: Michael DiPietro
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left-handed
Hometown: Amherstberg, Ontario
Birthdate: June 9th, 1999
Size: 6-foot-0, 193 lbs
Team: Windsor Spitfires (Ontario Hockey League)
Stats: 30-12-2, .917 save percentage, 2.35 goals against average.
NHL Ceiling: Starting goaltender
Not to say that Michael DiPietro flew under the radar of the Dallas Stars or similar NHL franchises, but his excellence in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs and the Memorial Cup skyrocketed the netminder into the conversation at #29 overall, where Dallas sits in the late first-round.
DiPietro has creeped into the conversation as the premier goaltender in the 2017 NHL Draft, rivaling Boston University goalie Jake Oettinger. His regular season stats (30-12-2, .917 SV%, 2.35 GAA) were outstanding, but considering his mind-boggling postseason numbers, we can safely assume that DiPietro won’t fall far in the Draft on the 23rd and 24th.
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In a tough first-round bout between DiPietro’s Windsor Spitfires and the then-defending league champions, the London Knights, DiPietro stood tall as the Spitfires fell in seven games. He posted a 3-4 record alongside a 2.48 GAA and .917 SV%, essentially saving games for Gabriel Vilardi and crew at Windsor.
DiPietro’s main attribute for success is his intensity and athleticism. At 6’0″, DiPietro is comparatively undersized as an NHL-caliber goaltender, but his quickness with his feet and his relentless positioning skills put him amongst the most interesting Draft choices.
DiPietro has often exemplified the ability to steal games, which is remarkably valuable in today’s NHL. The elite goaltenders in pro hockey are sometimes the best all-around players on the ice, and DiPietro has that ceiling.
DiPietro’s biggest quality is his lateral movement; the 18-year-old moves side to side with the best of them and makes crucial saves on cross-ice passes due to such a trait. His athleticism allows him to get a good push off the ice or the posts and make the stop on the other end of the crease.
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DiPietro is most commonly, and most accurately, compared to two-time Stanley Cup winning goaltender Jonathan Quick. DiPietro’s ability to push past his lack of size due to unmatched athleticism and fundamentally sound positioning is reminiscent of the Los Angeles Kings goalie.
The few missing pieces in DiPietro’s game are his size, and his puck-handling. A few times this season, the Windsor goalie failed to adequately make plays with the puck, turned it over, and caused the opposition to score. His puck-handling will surely get the work it needs.
DiPietro just recently turned 18, as well, meaning the goalie still has time to bulk up physically. He’s already bigger than established NHLers like Jaroslav Halak and Juuse Saros, goaltenders of similar skillsets, but the NHL continues to trend to larger netminders and DiPietro must follow suit.
It’ll be likely that DiPietro is available at #29 for the Dallas Stars’ taking. One thing that makes the potential acquisition of Michael DiPietro interesting is his goaltender coach in Windsor was new Texas Stars goalie coach Jim Bedard.
Next: Shane Bowers Would Be Suitable Pick For Stars At #29
His name and that of Jake Oettinger are floating around the Dallas Stars, let’s see if we’ll have a new goalie on our hands.