Petruzzelli still confident
Local product feels he’s top goaltender
BUFFALO — The week of the scouting combine can be nerve-racking for some prospects as they go through a week of meetings with team scouts and executives, and then run through what is often a vomit-inducing gauntlet of physical tests.
But Keith Petruzzelli seemed to enjoy every minute of it. The goalie out of Wilbraham, Springfield Cathedral and, most recently, the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL is ranked second among North American goalies. He had been first in the midterm rankings but was overtaken by Boston University’s Jake Oettinger.
“It was pretty relaxed. I didn’t wake up before 9 until today,” he said with a laugh.
The 6-foot-5 Petruzzelli said the most out-of-leftfield question came from the Winnipeg Jets, who asked him if he made his bed every morning. (For the record, he doesn’t.) He interviewed with 20 teams, including the Bruins.
Petruzzelli played his first two seasons at Cathedral, moved to the Selects Academy at South Kent School U-18 national program and then played last year at Muskegon. He’ll be headed to Quinnipiac, where he committed as a freshman at Cathedral.
He said the bump up in competition this past year has helped him hone his game.
“It was definitely a huge jump from U-18 to USHL. The USHL is such a great league. It prepares you greatly for college hockey and I couldn’t speak highly enough of it. I had a great time with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. It’s a great team and a great organization,” said Petruzzelli. His biggest improvement? “Just my depth,” he said. “Last year with the U-18s, I was able to sit back and rely on my size a lot more because guys’ shots weren’t that good. But this year I really had to push at the top of my crease at all times and really challenge myself.”
As easy going and affable as Petruzzelli is, he doesn’t lack confidence. When asked if he thought he was the best goalie in the draft, he didn’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative.
Why does he think he’s the best?
“My size and my ability to read when to be athletic and when to just use my size. And my ability to read shooters and read situations and understanding what he’s most likely going to do with the puck before he even makes that decision on what to do,” he said.
We’ll soon find out if any NHL teams share his opinion. Ovie watch
With the Washington Capitals suffering yet another playoff implosion, the idea that Alex Ovechkin could be on the trade market has been floated. And one of the speculated landing spots is Las Vegas, where his former general manager George McPhee now resides.
McPhee, however, essentially said don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
“It doesn’t surprise me (that the rumors have cropped up) because of our relationship. But I don’t think anything will be happening there. There are too many jerseys with No. 8 on in the seats to be moving that player,” said McPhee. Tight top two
After Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel went at the top of the 2015 draft, and then Auston Matthews and
Patrik Laine headlined last year, there seems to be a bit of a letdown to this year’s draft.
The oft-injured Nolan Patrick and Swiss-born Nico Hischier, both centers, are expected to go 1-2 — it’s anyone’s guess who’ll go first — and then it appears there will be a free-for-all after that in what is believed to be a very thin crop.
Nonetheless, some have compared Patrick and Hischier to the Taylor Hall-Tyler Seguin show of 2010, at least in how close they are in ability. New Jersey has the top pick and Philadelphia the second.
“(Patrick and Hischier) are different players, but the impact that they’ll have in the NHL will be very similar,” said director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr.
“It’s a very fine line between the two. We get the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them and they’re both high character players, and coaches like that because those guys don’t require any maintenance. And they’re both competitors.”