Just like Jimmy Vesey, Thomas DiPauli appears ready to test the open market.
DiPauli, a Notre Dame forward taken 100th overall by Washington at the 2012 draft, will reportedly hold out past the Aug. 15 deadline to sign with the Caps and head to unrestricted free agency, per ESPN.
A 22-year-old that’s spent the last four years playing for the Fighting Irish, DiPauli scored 14 goals and 32 points in 37 games last year, finishing as the team’s offensive MVP while earning honorable mention Hockey East All-Star honors.
DiPauli was a notable absence at Washington’s recent prospect development camp. More on that, per CSN Mid Atlantic:
[DiPauli] has attended previous Caps development camps, so the club decided not to invite him this summer.
According to a team spokesman the Caps remain interested in signing DiPauli by the NHL’s Aug. 15 deadline.
ESPN corroborated DiPauli’s interest in signing with the Caps, but it’s not surprising to hear he’s looking for opportunities with another organization.
Washington is fairly loaded at forward, and still has a handful of young prospects in the system -- including ’14 first-rounder Jakub Vrana, recent Boston College signee Zach Sanford and 24-year-old Russian winger Stanislav Galiev, who was stuck in healthy scratch limbo for long stretches this season as the club didn’t want to lose him on waivers.
As mentioned above, DiPauli could play the open market like Vesey plans to later next month.
Though Buffalo traded to acquire his rights from Nashville, the reigning Hobey Baker winner has a shortlist of other teams he’s interested in signing with.