Targeting Finland, the New Jersey Devils get their power forward Kasper Pikkarainen. The right-handed winger knows how to drive play on the power play and in transition up the ice. However, he takes a little bit longer to get his feet activated to reach top speed as a skater.
"It's a dream come true."
— Trey Matthews (@treymatt4) June 29, 2024
Kasper Pikkarainen's (3rd round, 85th pick) father, Ilkka, played for the #NJDevils during the 2009-10 season.
Ikka had 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 31 games played pic.twitter.com/Nz7VAlrAjw
Pikkarainen does activate his hips enough and uses his lower center of gravity of that 6'3 198-pound frame to make it more difficult for other teams to try and knock him off the puck. He is more of an updated version of his dad, Ilkka, who played for the Devils in a similar role. The Devils needed a high-volume shooter, play driver, and physical specimen on the wings who could help the Devils potentially roll all four lines.
The Devils don't need to rush any of their prospects because the moves that they did by bringing in Paul Cotter, Tomas Tatar, and Stefan Noesen at wing and center allow guys like Pikkarainen to marinade a bit longer and develop their game. Kasper Pikkarainen could be a mid-six winger who can also play a shutdown role and be strong along the walls and in the neutral zone. The worst case is he is a third and fourth-line winger that fans love to watch.