The Vegas Golden Knights got interesting news about their 2026 first-round pick, Juho Piiparinen. The Finnish defenseman joined the OHL's London Knights on Thursday, joining a long line of first-round draft picks who are playing with the organization.
If you're familiar with the Golden Knights' lore, Mitch Marner is a London Knights alumnus. He played with the OHL organization from 2013 to 2016. He played three seasons with the Knights, scoring 96 goals and 205 assists in 184 games. If there's anybody who knows a thing or two about the amateur team, it's the Golden Knights superstar.
Anyway, this is about the first-round pick. He gets a "golden" opportunity to hone in on his skills and become a better hockey player. It always starts with the first steps in the lower tiers, where you ease yourself into the game. That way, you're not overwhelmed like a lion in the cage with people saying, "He not built for this."
That means that Piiparinen must lean on his talents to ensure a successful future. What must he do with the London Knights so he comes to the Golden Knights prepared? What is he doing right and what must he improve?
Lean on your defensive play
Piiparinen had two blocked shots and one takeaway in Tuesday's overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. He did a fantastic job of clogging lanes and disrupting the play, protecting Carter Hart at all times. That was a promising development that showed he can hang around at the NHL level, even if he faced AHL players.
If he continues to block lanes and play responsible defense with the London Knights, he'll grow his stock within the Golden Knights' organization. He's already shown that he can hang with veterans and he can elevate his stock by blocking more shots and constricting his opponent's movements.
Take more shots
On Tuesday, Piiparinen didn't register a single shot on goal. Not that there's anything wrong with that since he's a defenseman. But taking more chances would elevate his profile within the Golden Knights' organization.
He's already good on the rush and skates incredibly well. But if he adds a nice shot to his repertoire, that makes him far more potent for the future. Imagine the Finnish defenseman coming down on the rush and attacking the goaltender with a fiery wrister. That would be bad news for the Golden Knights' foes.
Build on your strengths
As mentioned, Piiparinen does excellent in the defensive zone when staying home. He can clog lanes, block shots and redirect traffic as needed. On top of that, he can pickpocket an attacker for the puck and storm down the ice in transition.
But he's also a strong skater, which makes him perfect in transition. Add responsible puck-handling and incredible hockey intelligence and you have a player who can become a viable two-way defenseman. Focus on what you do best and you'll help the London Knights (and the Vegas Golden Knights) reach the next level.
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