As he begins his third development camp, forward Francesco Pinelli has a great understanding of what the week provides and what the Kings player development staff is trying to teach the prospects in attendance.
Pinelli enters the development camp off of another impressive year, statistically speaking, in the OHL. The second-year Kitchener Rangers captain notched 90 points (41-49-90) in 60 regular season games before he helped his team sweep the top-seeded Windsor Spitfires in the first round of the OHL playoffs. Pinelli’s two-way game at center is a large part of his enticing identity on the ice. Extremely responsible on both ends of the ice, Pinelli ranked fifth in the OHL among centers in scoring and skated in fewer games than those ahead of him.
After the 2023 draft, Kings Director of Scouting Mark Yannetti referenced Pinelli as a player who had taken noticeable strides this season, especially when looking from where he was drafted. He spoke about, initially, Pinelli’s “compete” being a reason as to why he wasn’t selected in the first round, which allowed the Kings to select him in the second round. Now, compete isn’t an issue for a player who has worked hard to round out his game in the OHL, preparing him for the transition to the professional ranks this season.
Looking back at the season, the humble Pinelli was happy with his overall performance, but put most of the praise back on his team and his teammates.
“I thought I had a pretty good season, we had a good team, so it was really fun to play with them,” he said. “I really had great linemates as well, so it was really fun to play with them. Just be back in Kitchener was really fun, a lot of great memories.”
Ready and excited to start a new chapter in his hockey career, Pinelli knows that development camp is where this coming season starts. With the prior development camp experience, Pinelli feels like he belongs.
Last season, Pinelli was a player who the development staff said took major strides forward from his first development camp. Mike Donnelly highlighted him as a night and day type comparison from where he was as a rookie to where he was last season. Now, he’s taken additional strides in the right direction in Year 3.
“Obviously, the more camps you have, the more confidence you get and you feel more comfortable, but I know everyone around here now and feel really welcomed and comfortable,” he said. “It’s been really fun and I feel welcomed back here.”
Scrimmage scenes 🎥 pic.twitter.com/jZt19reiqY
— LA Kings (@LAKings) July 7, 2023
That praises extended here into the 2023 camp as well.
Jarret Stoll of the player development staff, who works with the forwards, was nothing but complementary of Pinelli’s growth and camp showing thus far.
“He’s doing exactly what he needs to be doing right now, you can see the strength in his game, the power is in his stride,” Stoll said of Pinelli. “His skating is a lot quicker than last year coming in. A lot of first, second, third round picks are always in the spotlight because they’re high picks, there have been guys in the past that have come into their first camps, they’re a little overwhelmed and maybe don’t fit in. [He was] a little bit nervous as a first timer here, and now this year, it’s just been a great showing. That’s awesome.”
The improvements from last year’s development camp for Pinelli have allowed everyone to see his skillset on display. Focused on playing his game, Pinelli’s ambition for this week is to make an impression on those within the hockey operations ranks of the Kings organization.
He knows his game and he seems confident in his game and he’s looking to showcase the improvements he’s made. Over the course of the five days are four opportunities to do so in scrimmage settings, as well as positional drills with specialized members of the staff with the Kings. All chances for him to put what he can do on display.
“I think I bring high hockey IQ and puck movement, I’m a pretty good skater, I feel I can play in many different situations and will do what the team needs,” he said. “I just want to showcase my game, show that I’m a well-rounded player and that I can leave a good taste in everyone’s mouth by week’s end. I just want to play hockey.”
Pinelli will enter training camp in September as a player who, for the first time, is ready to make the transition up to professional hockey. While he was a high-level player in major-junior hockey, he was not eligible to play in the American Hockey League.
He’s eligible and Stoll firmly believes Pinelli is ready for the challenge.
“Now [Pinelli] moves on from the OHL turns pro, he’s an awesome kid, he puts the work in, he’s doing everything we wanted him to do, everything that’s asked of him he’s doing,” Stoll said. “He’s going to spend a lot of time here in the summer, he’s going to spend some time with Jeremy Clark in Minnesota training, he wants to put the work in and that’s what you want to see, that’s what development is all about. We’re here as development coaches and we want to develop players, but players have to involve and evolve themselves, right? They have to be able to do it themselves and have the discipline and the drive to do it. Pinelli is doing that.”
Soaking in everything at development camp, Pinelli hasn’t lost sight of the great opportunity he has here this week.
“It’s obviously great being here, I’ve met so many people at this camp and it’s it’s really cool to see players coming up,” he added. “Just to get back on this campus has been really fun.”
EL SEGUNDO, CA — Prospects and Invites take the ice for Day Two of the 2023 LA Kings Development Camp at Toyota Sports Performance Center.
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