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DiPauli Wants An NHL Job

August 17, 2016, 8:05 AM ET [20 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Updated:


When Jimmy Vesey signs with an NHL team this week, people will ask who the next best NCAA free agent hockey player is

Italian born Thomas Di Pauli was the fourth round selection of Washington Capitals in 2012.

Di Pauli did not sign with the Caps on or before the August 15 deadline.DiPauli is now an unrestricted free agent.

Di Pauli is now free to sign his NHL entry-level contract with any NHL team of his choosing.

As of today, there are 6-8 NHL GMs who are inquiring about DiPauli,who shares the same agent as Vesey, Jack Eichel, Nick Bonino,and other notable quotables.

So, who is Thomas Di Pauli?

He was born in Italy and moved to the United States when he was 12. DiPauli played for the Chicago Mission Midget Program.

With the USNDT, Di Pauli was a two-time invitee to the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York (2012 and 2013).

• DiPauli played two seasons with USA Hockey's National Team Developmental Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

• He was an alternate captain with the Under-18 team in 2011-12 scoring 10 goals with 11 assists for 21 points.


• Member of gold-medal winning team at the Under-18 World Championships.

• Served as co-captain of the Under-17 team in 2010-11, when he had seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 49 games.

• Helped his team to the gold medal at the 2011 Under-18 Vlad Dzurilla tournament, recording three assists.

DiPauli projects as an NHL top nine forward.





The Notre Dame graduate is not the largest player, however, he might be the fiercest competitor on NCAA rinks. The kid scrubs the walls and can motor through all three zones. He's not easy to knock off pucks and he is a deft passer.


In 145 career games at Notre Dame, Di Pauli scored 30 goals and added 48 assists for 78 points. That's .54 points per game. He collected 83 PIMs and was + 29.

Di Pauli is a 5'11" 190 lb. ball of energy.

He is a high skill, 200 by 85, high motor player who scored 14 goals and 18 assists in 37 games for the Fighting Irish last season. Di Pauli is a natural center man who is adept at winning faceoffs. He will play the wing in the NHL if need be.




As a Senior at Notre Dame, Di Pauli was named an Honorable Mention Hockey East All-Star.

Other accomplishments in his senior season include:


• Voted the team’s Offensive MVP following the season.

• Served as an alternate captain and was a member of Notre Dame’s Rosenthal Leadership Academy.

• Skated in all 37 games and scored a career-high 14 goals and added 18 assists for a career-high 32 points.

• Had three power-play goals, two game winners and finished with a +13 rating.

• Had 21 points (7-14-21) in 22 Hockey East games.

• Finished with eight multi-point games on the season including the game-winning goal and three assists in Notre Dame’s 8-2 win over UConn at the Barclays Center (Nov. 1).







Unlike Vesey, Di Pauli will likely need to play a year or two in the AHL before making his transition to the NHL.


When he develops confidence in his offensive game, it's very possible that Di Pauli will follow in the foot steps of fellow NCAA star Drake Caggiula of the Univesrity Of North Dakota. In four seasons and 162 games played at NoDak, the 5'9" 185 lb. Caggiula scored 62 goals and 65 assists for 127 points. That's .78 points per game.






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Welcome to Day 2 of the Jimmy Vesey Scramble.

Vesey and his agents are scheduled to meet today with Chicago, NY Rangers, and Boston.


Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that the meeting with the Bruins will be conducted this afternoon at the team's new practice facility.

Vesey's agent confirmed to me that He spoke with the Sabres on Monday prior to Vesey becoming an unrestricted free agent at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.



Vesey had himself a day in Tueday. He met with the Brooklyn Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Detroit Red Wings were told "thanks but no thanks. Detroit is too far away from Boston" by Camp Vesey. The Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets reportedly have inquired about Vesey.

The long awaited Bruins meeting with Vesey will reportedly be conducted at the team's new Warrior Arena training facility in Brighton, Mass.

CSN New England reports that CEO Charlie Jacobs, president Cam Neely, GM Don Sweeney and head coach Claude Julien will represent the Bruins.


I've been told that Boston isn't Vesey's first choice of NHL teams to play for. Reason being the pressure of having to be one of the pillars of strength for his re-tooling hometown team. Sure, Boston looks like a cozy fit in August when the pucks are still in the bucket. I can guarantee you that the organizational blood pressure will rise to 200 /125 when the Bruins are in last place and or winless in ten straight games. Claude Julien has been rumored to be fired by the Bruins for the past four summers. What happens when Julien finally gets fired during Vesey's rookie season?

What then?

Will Bs GM Din Sweeney hire Vesey's Harvard head coach Ted Donato?

That notwithstanding, Julien is a strict, old school disciplinarian who doesn't believe in playing rookie NHLers in his top six for 14-16 minutes TOI per game. Julien just lost top prospect Alex Khokhlachev to the KHL. That will happen when NHL coaches stubbornly park their talented prospects in the minors years at a time.

Is Julien will to set in his ways to radically change his coaching philosophy now that Vesey is available to the Bruins? Plus, Vesey is a left winger as are Brad Marchand, Matt Beleskey and Ryan Spooner. Vesey wants a top six role not a fourth line one.



More to come....
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