Pietila, 24, completed his second season with the Devils organization, splitting time between New Jersey and Albany (AHL). He played in 10 regular-season games with New Jersey, making his 2016-17 season debut on November 19 at Los Angeles. The left-shooting forward tallied one assist on March 28 at Winnipeg. Pietila also skated in 49 regular-season games with Albany, scoring a career high 17 goals for 33 points to go along with 38 penalty minutes. He had two assists in two 2017 Calder Cup Playoff matches.
The Milford, MI native played collegiately for Michigan Tech (WCHA) from 2011-15, where he scored 46 goals and 60 assists for 106 points with 230 penalty minutes in 153 games. He served the Huskies as a co-captain in his junior and senior seasons. He also won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, registering two assists in seven games. Before attending Michigan Tech, the forward spent the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons with the United States National Team Development Program. Pietila was New Jersey's fourth choice (5th round), 129th overall, in the 2011 NHL Draft.
