After a bit of regression from a few of Detroit’s goaltending prospects, Keith Petruzzelli’s impressive performance in the NCAA is providing a glimmer of hope.
Petruzzelli is in his fourth year in college hockey, goaltending for Quinnipiac. His senior year has been his best so far. With a save percentage of .929, he’s a finalist for the Hobey Baker award, which includes the ten best players in the NCAA.
He has no shortage of impressive saves.
Keith Petruzzelli MY GOODNESS. A beautiful glove save keeps the Bobcats on top late in this one.@Q30Sports | #ECACHockey pic.twitter.com/UtBUlQEnIv
— Steven Pappas (@StevenPappas_TV) January 23, 2021
Scouts say his development has been impressive during his time with Quinnipiac. In his freshman year, Petruzzelli finished with a .892 save percentage. He’s only improved with each season, reading plays better, improving his reaction time, and just rounding out his skillset.
Keep an eye on the upcoming NCAA tournament – Petruzzelli’s team, Quinnipiac, is looking for a deep run, and they might just do it with the help of their senior goaltender. He’s already guided them to multiple victories in the regular season – he notched five shutouts on the season. Three of those shutouts came consecutively. Petruzzelli possesses the ability to keep his team in nearly any game (similar to Detroit’s Jonathan Bernier).
After Filip Larsson’s relatively disappointing debut with the Grand Rapids Griffins, it’s exciting to see another goaltender step up as Detroit’s best prospect, especially considering the current goaltending situation.
While Detroit has a great starter in Jonathan Bernier and a serviceable second option with Thomas Greiss, the two are aging fast – Bernier 32, and Greiss 35. And considering Bernier’s departure from Thursday’s matchup against the Stars, the idea of getting some legit goaltender prospects higher up the pipeline seems more relevant than ever.
Hopefully, after signing an entry level contract with Detroit in a few months, Petruzzelli can make the transition from college to the minor leagues. It is likely that Detroit fans can get their first good look at the prospect with the Griffins next season.