No. 2: Keith Petruzzelli
Of the six goaltenders at the Toronto Maple Leafs development camp this weekend, I’m most excited to watch Keith Petruzzelli.
After being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Petruzzelli’s draft rights expired and the Leafs signed him this offseason. The 6-foot-5 netminder had a tremendous season in the NCAA with Quinnipiac University and seems poised for the next step.
Toronto’s goaltending is pretty deep right now, so I’m not sure where Petruzzelli will exactly fit when the season starts, but this camp could be a huge indicator as to where he’ll play.
Personally, I think he’ll start the season with the Newfound Growlers, then work his way to the Toronto Marlies by mid-season, but a full year dominating in the ECHL, could be a good thing for him.
As the reigning ECAC goaltender of the year, Petruzzelli and the entire Leafs organization should have high hopes for him, as he could be the future No. 1 goaltender of the organization in the next three years.