Rick DiPietro's agonizing decision to make himself available for the NHL draft should pay off on Saturday.
The 18-year-old goalie from Winthrop, Mass., is the top-ranked North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting going into the draft in Calgary.
After days of deliberating, DiPietro decided to forego his remaining years of college eligibility at Boston University to turn pro. He was still wrestling with the decision at 3 p.m. EDT on May 1, and the paperwork had to be filed by 5 p.m.
"It was probably the most difficult decision I've ever had to make as a person as well as a player," he said Wednesday from Calgary.
"It was a pretty intense time because we had so many different opinions coming at us from people that we respected. There was so many pros and cons to weigh that it got to the point where it was really frustrating and a little too intense. I feel pretty confident now that it was a good decision."
When DiPietro opted in, NHL Central Scouting made the unprecedented move of revising its final rankings, putting a new player as No. 1. DiPietro was added to the list ahead of goalie Brent Krahn, who had been ranked No. 1 all year.
"We'd have the odd change when a player opted in, but it wouldn't have this significance," NHL director of scouting Frank Bonello said. "This guy could end up going top four or five."
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound DiPietro was only the second American to be named top goalie at the world junior hockey championship, where the United States finished fourth, after he posted a 2-2-1 record, a 1.81 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.
In his rookie year at Boston University, DiPietro faced shooters three to five years older, yet finished with an 18-5-5 record, a 2.45 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. He earned rookie of the year honors in the Hockey East conference.
After a season like that, the call of the pros was too much to resist.
"I think what it really came down to was this is really my opportunity to go after my goal of being an NHL goaltender," said DiPietro. "I just felt playing with the pros and getting used to that pro game was something that was going to make me that much better as a player and hopefully get me a year closer to the NHL."
DiPietro is quick, challenges shooters and has exceptional puckhandling skills.
"It's unusual to be saying this, but he sees the ice like a defenseman," Bonello said. "He'll pass the puck to his forwards."
DiPietro grew up following the career of Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall.
"I picked up his stickhandling and tried to work on that in practice," he said. "I'm pretty confident going out of the net and handling the puck and passing it up to my defense.
College players who are 18 and opt into the draft lose their college eligibility, but 19-year-old players, such as Wisconsin's Dany Heatley, who is a projected top-five pick, can be drafted and return to college.
Ironically, if DiPietro's birthday was four days earlier, on or before Sept. 15, he would automatically go into the draft and be eligible to return to college.
"I've been telling my mother while I was making my decision 'If it wasn't for you, if you would have had me four days earlier, I wouldn't be in that position,"' DiPietro said with a laugh.
The New York Islanders, who already have in their system Robert Luongo, the highest-drafted goalie ever, have the top pick Saturday.
The Atlanta Thrashers are second, followed by the expansion Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Nashville Predators, the Boston Bruins and Tampa again with the eighth pick.
Luongo was picked fourth overall by the Isles in 1997. Brian Finley went sixth overall to Nashville last year and Jamie Storr was the No. 7 pick by Los Angeles in 1994.
This isn't a strong year for goaltenders, said Bonello, with DiPietro and Krahn considered the only two legitimate first-rounders.
Krahn, a 6-4, 200-pound native of Winkler, Manitoba, had a great year and was especially impressive at the Canadian Hockey League's Top Prospects Game in February, when he stopped 22 of 23 shots.