Pikkarainen saw his season derailed by a serious knee injury that limited him to just one game with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. After parting ways with Red Deer, he has returned to Finland to restart his development with HC TPS, a club that underperformed last year and is in need of fresh talent. At 18, time is still on his side, but the injury has cast some uncertainty over his trajectory. A full, healthy season will be key. His game, built on physicality and two-way play inspirited by shades of the Tkachuk brothers, remains compelling. If he finds his rhythm, he could work his way back into NHL conversations and earn a spot with Finland’s World Junior squad. For now, the focus is on staying healthy, regaining form, and proving why New Jersey took a swing on his upside in the third round.

Pikkarainen has the raw tools to become a bottom-six NHL talent, but there are some growing pains to get through first. For one, his skating needs drastic improvement, from straight-line speed to acceleration to quickness in turns. His size and physicality are already NHL caliber, but he needs to elevate his more offensively-focused toolkit to be a threat for an NHL spot in a few years.

Pikkarainen was selected 85th overall by the New Jersey Devils.

Kasper Pikkarainen is a big winger with some interesting tools that haven’t yet come together. Pikkarainen is at his best when playing in the offensive zone, as he can snap a shot or pass the puck efficiently in tighter spaces. Anni Karvinen