Jeremy Laura: Petruzzelli signs with Marlies

Hey all, Kevin Allen did a nice piece based on input from Russ Cohen. I can’t say enough about how sharp and articulate Allen is and what a boon to your Wings reading he can (and should) be. Detroit’s second defenseman picked this season is already garnering praise as a 3rd “fist round” pick. I didn’t know much about Buium, but what I’ve seen is impressive. I will be following the three Wings prospects at Denver this year. Anyway, check out this write up from K.A.

https://detroithockeynow....st-rounder-in-2021-draft/

Not sure what KP was thinking if he was hoping to land in Boston. Bruins have some pretty decent goalie prospects compared to what the Wings had. He will still have to fight for playing time with the Marlies even if they don't have as many good goalie prospects as the Bruins. He would have had a much better chance at getting ice time with GR since Pickard would have been his main competition and his numbers aren't all that good either.


We'll see how it goes for him but this could be a very stupid move on his part.

Goalies are truly a different breed. Petro would have gotten promoted rather quickly in the Wings system if he truly is a good prospect. But Stevie is managing to put some high ceiling prospects into the system to fill the need!

Not sure what KP was thinking if he was hoping to land in Boston. Bruins have some pretty decent goalie prospects compared to what the Wings had. He will still have to fight for playing time with the Marlies even if they don't have as many good goalie prospects as the Bruins. He would have had a much better chance at getting ice time with GR since Pickard would have been his main competition and his numbers aren't all that good either.


We'll see how it goes for him but this could be a very stupid move on his part.
- dcz28

I’ve chewed on this for the better part of the year. I don’t remember opportunities being so wide open in this organization. Jobs can be taken. For whatever reason, KP decided to move on. College players are very aware of their ability to become a free agent. It doesn’t always go the way they hope, but it puts them in control of their destiny if that’s what they want

Eichel boarded a plane to MTL….

Officially, Biosteel is going on. Eichel is going to watch but not participate

Instead, the curveball result is Petruzzelli signing an AHL contract and for a two years instead of one. This cannot be the result that Petruzzelli’s camp imagined if and when they did spurn Detroit. It’s difficult to imagine that Petruzzelli did not receive an NHL contract, but his representation misread the market as most other did. The talented goaltender is now locked into a low-money, minor league pact when he ideally would have been on an entry-level contract with a shot at NHL starts. Toronto is also not a great landing spot in particular. The Maple Leafs will have NHL veteran Michael Hutchinson and signed prospects Joseph Woll and Ian Scott all battling for play time with the Marlies and Petruzzelli, who the team is not as invested in, could easily fall through the cracks. This may not provide enough exposure to garner NHL offers that could relieve him of his AHL contract. It’s a strange and surprising situation for a such well-regarded prospect and will be an interesting story line to follow in the minors this season.

A serious miscalculation?

A serious miscalculation?
- HenryHockey

i honestly think KP had something locked down in Boston. I don’t think getting up the depth chart in Toronto will be as hard as that quote makes it look.

Toronto and Edmonton really benefitted from the scenario last season. Would both those teams have had the same success if they played the rest of the league? Toronto got a lot from Andersen for years. Add the fatigue of travel (and increase in competitive teams) and the goalie carousel could start spinning over there.

i honestly think KP had something locked down in Boston. I don’t think getting up the depth chart in Toronto will be as hard as that quote makes it look.

Toronto and Edmonton really benefitted from the scenario last season. Would both those teams have had the same success if they played the rest of the league? Toronto got a lot from Andersen for years. Add the fatigue of travel (and increase in competitive teams) and the goalie carousel could start spinning over there.
- Jeremy Laura

Yes, but if he signed his ELC w/ Detroit in the spring, he would have had less competition then. The fuzzy point here would be: Did Detroit offer the ELC? I don't recall. All I seen is he chose FA. It is a rather moot point now anyway.

Yes, but if he signed his ELC w/ Detroit in the spring, he would have had less competition then. The fuzzy point here would be: Did Detroit offer the ELC? I don't recall. All I seen is he chose FA. It is a rather moot point now anyway.
- HenryHockey

Detroit did offer. Starting last year at least. He just kept turning it down. By early this year it was clear he wasn’t coming. He still had to finish College season before signing with anyone. Just was clear it wouldn’t be Detroit

Detroit did offer. Starting last year at least. He just kept turning it down. By early this year it was clear he wasn’t coming. He still had to finish College season before signing with anyone. Just was clear it wouldn’t be Detroit
- Jeremy Laura

OK, I wanted to be sure....it was a while ago

OK, I wanted to be sure....it was a while ago
- HenryHockey

Yeah it was. All feels like “butterfly effect” stuff. Would Yzerman have grabbed Ned if KP had signed? Would he still have drafted Cossa? Would I have bought the disgusting cappuccino coffee pods that were so gross I’ve been in a bad mood for 2 days?!!!

Possibly/probably/yes

Yeah it was. All feels like “butterfly effect” stuff. Would Yzerman have grabbed Ned if KP had signed? Would he still have drafted Cossa? Would I have bought the disgusting cappuccino coffee pods that were so gross I’ve been in a bad mood for 2 days?!!!

Possibly/probably/yes
- Jeremy Laura

Good... get on and don't let the door hit you in the backside, or actually let it... may he have struggles in his career for being a pompous and ungrateful punk who isn't worthy of wearing the winged wheel.... Stevie more than addressed this kids departure... good riddance

I have read in a few postings that scouts have stated that when KP is on, he is a solid goaltender. However, one of the items of interest from scouts is that when he faces adversity or his game is off, his confidence and drive plummet. Maybe this is the reason that no teams have signed him. Remember, he is a free agent. Any of the 32 teams have an opportunity to bring him into their organizations, so perhaps that is part of the problem with him as a player.

I have read in a few postings that scouts have stated that when KP is on, he is a solid goaltender. However, one of the items of interest from scouts is that when he faces adversity or his game is off, his confidence and drive plummet. Maybe this is the reason that no teams have signed him. Remember, he is a free agent. Any of the 32 teams have an opportunity to bring him into their organizations, so perhaps that is part of the problem with him as a player.
- muttsy19

I talk a lot about the time it takes for players to develop and I put goalies as the longest. Part of it is the mental side of being an NHL goalie. The maturity you have to learn and the ability to keep going is brutal. EMDR type exercises (combines mental and physical therapy) and training yourself to “reboot” in the middle of a game. All those quirky things goalies do (squirting water in the air and watching it fall) there is a connection between mental therapy and eye movement (like REM sleep). To be able to be your own THerapist with 20k fans shouting after you let one in, not a lot of fun.

A fan wrote that Bob Duff said that Stevie did not offer Petro an ELC.

And as to his Bruin's tryout:

Last season, Petruzzelli enjoyed a banner campaign as a senior….
And yet, not a single NHL team considered him to be worthy of an NHL entry-level contract. Petruzzelli attended the Boston Bruins’ development camp on a tryout basis, but was not offered a contract.
(per an unnamed NHL Scout) "When he is good, he can be really good but when it goes south, it really can be ugly," the scout said of Petruzzelli’s game. "When he was younger, I thought he would grow out of it with maturity but it still seems to be an issue."

A fan wrote that Bob Duff said that Stevie did not offer Petro an ELC.

And as to his Bruin's tryout:
- HenryHockey

I was told the opposite. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat the turd burger. I was told that KP and/or agent wouldn’t go for the deal. Yzerman was fielding questions about it early in the year saying, “we’re working on it”.

Please know, I wouldn’t try to give bad info on this. The whole time I’ve just passed along what I received. It went down pretty much the way I was told and the way I wrote it would. But if I gave bad info, I truly apologize.

I was told the opposite. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat the turd burger. I was told that KP and/or agent wouldn’t go for the deal. Yzerman was fielding questions about it early in the year saying, “we’re working on it”.

Please know, I wouldn’t try to give bad info on this. The whole time I’ve just passed along what I received. It went down pretty much the way I was told and the way I wrote it would. But if I gave bad info, I truly apologize.
- Jeremy Laura

Not blaming you....I used the wrong emoji, should have been this one:


I don't remember an ELC offer, other than what was here...I guess, it is a bit fuzzy. But, like I said, it is mote point and Petro is gone, and it looks as if that is OK. He still is not as far along for anyone to offer him an ELC. I wish him the best!

Not blaming you....I used the wrong emoji, should have been this one:


I don't remember an ELC offer, other than what was here...I guess, it is a bit fuzzy. But, like I said, it is mote point and Petro is gone, and it looks as if that is OK. He still is not as far along for anyone to offer him an ELC. I wish him the best!
- HenryHockey

Very well put. No sour grapes. There are scenarios where everyone can succeed here. Best of luck chasing the dream, KP

Not sure what KP was thinking if he was hoping to land in Boston. Bruins have some pretty decent goalie prospects compared to what the Wings had. He will still have to fight for playing time with the Marlies even if they don't have as many good goalie prospects as the Bruins. He would have had a much better chance at getting ice time with GR since Pickard would have been his main competition and his numbers aren't all that good either.


We'll see how it goes for him but this could be a very stupid move on his part.
- dcz28

Agree 100% here. I've watched Pickard play for quite a while in GR and he is not very good even for an AHL goalie. He doesn't ever steal a win for the Griffins. He's a mediocre AHL goalie at best and easily replaceable... so Petro would have a had a very good chance of working up the system in the Wings organization. There wasn't much competition prior to Stevie working his magic with Ned and then picking Cossa... both of which I think were great moves. You would have never seen Holland fleece a team like Carolina for Ned...

I hope the Griffins play the Marlies at least a few games and hope to see Petruzelli get lit up by the Griffins.

Not sure what KP was thinking if he was hoping to land in Boston. Bruins have some pretty decent goalie prospects compared to what the Wings had. He will still have to fight for playing time with the Marlies even if they don't have as many good goalie prospects as the Bruins. He would have had a much better chance at getting ice time with GR since Pickard would have been his main competition and his numbers aren't all that good either.


We'll see how it goes for him but this could be a very stupid move on his part.
- dcz28

My understanding (which could be wrong; I'm having trouble finding an official confirming source) is that players on AHL-only contracts are free to sign with any NHL team at any time. I think the idea is that, if this were not the case, teams that owned their own affiliates could abuse AHL-only deals as a loophole to circumvent the 50-contract limit.

Either way, by signing an AHL-only deal, it's still the case that no NHL team technically owns his rights. So he does keep his options more open than locking himself into an ELC and potentially 5 or more years of RFA status.

Could be that none of the teams he wants to play for were willing to give him an NHL ELC, he decided he'd rather sign an AHL SPC then an NHL ELC with a team he doesn't want to play for, and Toronto was the best option willing to offer him an AHL one-way deal.

All this is pure speculation on my part. Could be the simplest explanation (thought he'd get more buzz but couldn't get an offer and Detroit decided to shut the door) is the right one. At the very least it's curious.

That all being said, I don't see KP being more than a minor league journeyman goalie anyway. I'm not all that impressed with his resume.

My understanding (which could be wrong; I'm having trouble finding an official confirming source) is that players on AHL-only contracts are free to sign with any NHL team at any time. I think the idea is that, if this were not the case, teams that owned their own affiliates could abuse AHL-only deals as a loophole to circumvent the 50-contract limit.

Either way, by signing an AHL-only deal, it's still the case that no NHL team technically owns his rights. So he does keep his options more open than locking himself into an ELC and potentially 5 or more years of RFA status.

Could be that none of the teams he wants to play for were willing to give him an NHL ELC, he decided he'd rather sign an AHL SPC then an NHL ELC with a team he doesn't want to play for, and Toronto was the best option willing to offer him an AHL one-way deal.

All this is pure speculation on my part. Could be the simplest explanation (thought he'd get more buzz but couldn't get an offer and Detroit decided to shut the door) is the right one. At the very least it's curious.

That all being said, I don't see KP being more than a minor league journeyman goalie anyway. I'm not all that impressed with his resume.
- Sven22

I think you’re right. They can earn a PTO or sign with another club. Sometimes waivers are involved.

My understanding (which could be wrong; I'm having trouble finding an official confirming source) is that players on AHL-only contracts are free to sign with any NHL team at any time. I think the idea is that, if this were not the case, teams that owned their own affiliates could abuse AHL-only deals as a loophole to circumvent the 50-contract limit.

Either way, by signing an AHL-only deal, it's still the case that no NHL team technically owns his rights. So he does keep his options more open than locking himself into an ELC and potentially 5 or more years of RFA status.

Could be that none of the teams he wants to play for were willing to give him an NHL ELC, he decided he'd rather sign an AHL SPC then an NHL ELC with a team he doesn't want to play for, and Toronto was the best option willing to offer him an AHL one-way deal.

All this is pure speculation on my part. Could be the simplest explanation (thought he'd get more buzz but couldn't get an offer and Detroit decided to shut the door) is the right one. At the very least it's curious.

That all being said, I don't see KP being more than a minor league journeyman goalie anyway. I'm not all that impressed with his resume.
- Sven22

The Maple Leafs will have NHL veteran Michael Hutchinson and signed prospects Joseph Woll and Ian Scott all battling for play time with the Marlies and Petruzzelli, who the team is not as invested in, could easily fall through the cracks. This may not provide enough exposure to garner NHL offers that could relieve him of his AHL contract. It’s a strange and surprising situation for a such well-regarded prospect and will be an interesting storyline to follow in the minors this season.

Hope it works out for him.....but what is that saying about karma?