NHL Rumors: Thomas DiPauli expected to sign with Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to sign former Washington Capitals draft pick Thomas DiPauli. 

Jimmy Vesey is attracting all of the attention, but there are several other 2012 NHL draft picks who have elected free agency over signing with the team that drafted them. One of them is Thomas DiPauli from the University of Notre Dame. DiPauli, according to sources, is expected to sign with the Capitals’ rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust is a former teammate of DiPauli’s. That likely factored into DiPauli’s decision. The center did extremely well during his junior and senior seasons with the Fighting Irish, picking up 61 points in his last 78 games. DiPauli will likely start the 2016-17 NHL season with the Wiles-Barre Scranton Penguins, the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate, because he still needs some experience. He could be a call up option or an extra forward should the need arise in Pittsburgh. DiPauli could fight for a roster spot in the second and final season of his entry level contract.

Related Story: Ten Most Overpaid NHL Players

DiPauli’s decision is slightly baffling. He likely didn’t want to sign with the Capitals because they have very solid center depth with Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jay Beagle and Lars Eller. That doesn’t even include Marcus Johansson and Andre Burakovsky, two natural centers who play on the wing.

So why did he sign with a team that might have even better center depth than the Capitals? The Penguins already have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bonino, Eric Fehr and Matt Cullen. It’s true that Bonino and Cullen could both be free agents after the 2016-17 season. But even after that, the Penguins have fairly solid center depth. Again, his relationship with Rust might have helped.

DiPauli’s decision is a fascinating one. It should be interesting to see if more players choose the same path that DiPauli and Vesey have chosen.