Report: Canucks give Michael DiPietro permission to talk with other teams about a trade

The Vancouver Canucks have given goaltender Michael DiPietro permission to talk with other teams, according to a report by Rick Dhaliwal.

The Vancouver hockey insider tweeted on Sunday that DiPietro and his agent, Darren Ferris, have been given the green light by the Canucks to “talk to teams and help with a trade.”

DiPietro, 23, accepted his one-year qualifying offer from the Canucks on Saturday. He’s under contract through the end of the 2022–23 season, at which time he could become a restricted free agent.

In 34 American Hockey League games with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2021–22, DiPietro put together a 15–13–4 record to go along with a .901 save percentage. The 6’0″, 200-pound goaltender has also appeared in three NHL games with Vancouver during his career, going 0–2–0 with a .771 save percentage.

The Canucks currently have five goaltenders under NHL contract for 2021–22: Thatcher Demko, Spencer Martin, Collin Delia, Arturs Silovs, and DiPietro. With Demko and Martin expected to form the NHL tandem next year, that leaves three goaltenders to fight for playing time in Abbotsford.

Silovs is expected to take on an increased role in the AHL next year with Delia likely to serve as the starter. DiPietro is still young, but he’d probably be better served to go to an organization with more room for him between the pipes.