Goalie prospect DiPietro could have future in scouting
There may not be anyone better to break down the Vancouver Canucks’ development camp than Michael DiPietro.
The Canucks’ goalie prospect is fresh off facing some of the best players in the NHL during his practices with Team Canada at the world championship in Denmark.
So what stood out in his four days on the ice this week at Rogers Arena playing against the Canucks’ top prospects?
“Right away I’m thinking about (Jonah Gadjovich). You never like to see him in front when you play against him, but he’s a great guy to have on the team,” DiPietro said. “A lot of these guys have good releases and are good players.”
Then DiPietro brought up Quinn Hughes, who he has played against in the past.
“We were playing with the idea there that he could end up on Vancouver,” DiPietro said.
“It’s pretty funny the way the stars aligned him. I knew what to expect from him coming into camp.”
And what exactly did
Hughes bring?
“His transition game is really where he’s going to prove his speed,” DiPietro said. “It’s in the way he can evade checks. And then there’s the way he patrols the blue-line.
“He can quickly change angles on goalies. We have a competition out there to see if he can score on me. With his shot, he likes to use the change-up sometimes it seems.
“We do chirp each other and get under each other’s skin, but it’s all in good fun.”
DiPietro was one of 40 players invited to participate in the next World Junior Summer Showcase that will be another step toward him making the Canadian under20 team and winning gold in Vancouver at Christmas.
He was cut from the team in December.
“I have a little more salt and vinegar in my game now,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
A lot of these guys have good releases and are good players.” Michael DiPietro