Prospect Watch: Luca del bel Belluz

Prospect coverage continues this week with an update on Luca del bel Belluz, currently playing for the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. In a system currently lacking many high end center prospects, LDDB is an intriguing player, and one that we should keep a close eye on as he progresses.

Selected by the Blue Jackets in the 2nd round (#44 overall) at the 2022 NHL Draft, del bel Belluz returns to the OHL for his third season in the league. He came into the OHL as a 16 year old and played in a mostly depth role; scoring 1 goal and 6 points in 58 games for the Steelheads, before his 17 year old season was wiped out completely due to the COVID pandemic.

Fortunately for Luca, as a late birthday, he wasn’t eligible for the draft until 2022 – which allowed him to burst onto the scene in his 18 year old season, scoring 30 goals and 76 points while skating in all 68 of his team’s OHL games. His stock rose rapidly and steadily throughout the season, with the Blue Jackets plucking him early in the second round of the draft.

A good puck handler with quick hands and strong hockey IQ, del bel Belluz can distribute the puck or score goals in a variety of ways – be it a silky deke, working hard in front of the net, or a quick release shot. But he’s not just pure offense; he’s good at the faceoff dot and plays a solid 200 foot game. You could say, he’s a complete center within his age group.

Now, his game doesn’t come without question marks. While he’s a good skater, his top speed isn’t what you would typically expect to see from a player at his size who is so productive. Also, though he has good height at an even 6-0, he’s still very slight and will need to get stronger to win battles in the corners and in front of the net.

So far this season, he’s been stellar for the Steelheads, with an even 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points through 18 games played. He sits second on the team in scoring, while taking a lot of the tougher assignments in all situations, and he wears a letter as an assistant captain for the team.

Since he’s a late birthday, he’s in his 19 year old season in the CHL, which means he’s eligible to play in the American Hockey League next year. I would expect him to suit up for the Cleveland Monsters next fall, with the hope that he’ll continue to improve his strength and productivity at the pro level, before competing for a spot with the Jackets. Best guess – LDDB is 2-3 years away, and in the end, he could be a future second or third line center in the NHL. It will just take some time.

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