NHL Notes: Should the Bruins Avoid Another 'Bussi' Mistake?

The Boston Bruins are at a crossroads, pondering whether to avoid another situation like the one with Brandon Bussi, who made a name for himself in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Bussi's journey was nothing short of remarkable. He went from being an undrafted free agent to becoming the AHL goaltender of the year in his rookie season, boasting a 22-5-4 record and a .924 save percentage.

Despite his impressive performance, Bussi was never given a chance to shine in Boston, stuck behind Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. He did get brief call-ups to serve as a backup when injuries struck, but eventually fell out of favor after the Bruins traded for Michael DiPietro.

Bussi's determination and perseverance paid off when he signed with the Florida Panthers organization as a free agent and later found his way into the NHL backup gig in Carolina. He posted a 31-6-2 record and an .895 save percentage for the Hurricanes, splitting time with Freddie Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov in the net.

The question now is whether the Bruins should consider DiPietro as their low-priced backup for the upcoming season, instead of the high-priced Joonas Korpisalo. DiPietro has been rock solid, making key saves and feeling good about his brief stint in a Boston uniform.

DiPietro's impressive performance in the AHL, with a 34-8-1 record and a .930 save percentage, has earned him the Les Cunningham Award as the league's most valuable player for the 2025-26 season.