By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on Twitter / X @cookejournalism
The Boston Bruins are in no shortage of goalies. On Wednesday afternoon, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced that Michael DiPietro has been signed to a one-year, two-way contract extension with a National Hockey League cap hit of $775,000. The other half of Boston’s minor league affiliate goalie tandem, Brandon Bussi, will be a free agent after his one-year extension expires after the 2023-24 season.
The duo have mimicked the rotation of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark down in Providence this season, posting commendable numbers while sharing the crease. DiPietro has suited up for 26 games in Providence, posting a 2.52 goals against average and a .917 save percentage en route to a 17-8-0-4 record. The 24-year-old has appeared in seven fewer games this season with Providence than Bussi but has managed better numbers than his counterpart.
The Bruins acquired DiPietro in 2022 from the Vancouver Canucks in a deal that sent Jack Studnicka out the door. Since then, he’s impressed in Providence as a solid option alongside Bussi. The 2017 third-round draft pick has totaled 101 games in the American Hockey League between the Bruins and the Utica Comets, totaling a career record of 21-11-2-1. At 6’1″, 207 pounds, DiPietro isn’t the tallest goaltender on the block, but he makes up for it with his lateral quickness.
With the swirling rumors of Ullmark’s long-term fate in Boston, it is expected that either DiPietro or Bussi will be Boston’s next backup goaltender in line, assuming the Bruins resign Swayman to an extension this summer. Either way, DiPietro’s deal is well deserved and ensures another netminder will remain in the Bruins organization for at least another season.
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