The strong finish to Pinelli’s OHL career that had observers pegging him as a top-six center for the Kings in a few years seems like a distant memory. Pinelli struggled to make an offensive impact during his rookie AHL season in 2023-24, collecting 20 points in 67 games. His sophomore season in 2024-25 only saw a slight increase in production to 29 points in 70 games. There’s certainly concern that Pinelli may not achieve his ceiling as a top-six center if he cannot show meaningful growth offensively in 2025-26. That said, the talent is there, so dynasty fantasy managers comfortable with risk could hit big by buying low now.

This season has not been kind to the Kitchener Rangers who sit eighth in the OHL’s Western Conference with a 25-26-4 record. But the captain has been a bright spot for the team with 73 points in just 48 appearances this year. With 34 of those tallies being goals, Pinelli is on pace for well over 40 on the year and well eclipsing the 22 he had in 2021-22. All signs point towards Pinelli turning pro following the conclusion of Kitchener’s season and he has the tools to excel with a strong defensive game to go along with the newfound offensive prowess. While Pinelli could be a longer shot to crack the Kings roster out of training camp in the fall, he will undoubtedly be one to watch as he works his way through the organization’s depth chart. He projects as a strong two-way centre with goal-scoring upside, so he could be well worth a stash in dynasty formats, especially those that reward faceoff dominance.

The Kings inked their second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft to a three-year entry-level deal, which will kick in at the start of the 2022-23 season. Pinelli has come a long way since falling to the Kings, spending the pandemic season in Slovenia which helped to tighten up his overall game. Returning to Kitchener in 2021-22, Pinelli showed this progress in his game by establishing himself as an elite two-way centre in the OHL.

Like a Swiss army knife, Pinelli possesses a complete toolbox which allows him to transition the puck and get into the play deep in the offensive zone but is never out of position when backchecking. The responsibility and growth in his game is beyond his age which bodes well for this upcoming season. Not many players in his age group can scan the entire ice the way he does, and this allows him to be an efficient player in transition and when finding a seam in the offensive zone for a cross-ice pass. Pinelli will be a player to watch in training camp as the Kings will want to get a good look at the 20-year-old in action. If he has a strong camp, he could find himself in a bottom to middle-six role as the season wears on, but a stint in the AHL would certainly not hurt his development.

The Los Angeles Kings traded up to select Pinelli in the second round, 42nd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.