Luca del bel Belluz was the Blue Jackets second round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old has spent of his professional career in Cleveland with limited time in Columbus. However, based on his development, that may soon change.
LDBB was on the top line in Cleveland in 2024-25, registering 27 goals, 26 assists, and 53 points in 61 games. He was recalled to the Blue Jackets to play on the second line when multiple injuries occurred.
He faired admirably in his time in Columbus, playing in 15 games, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists for a total of 8 points. He needs to improve on a few things, but he gave a glimpse of his potential in his short stint with the CBJ.
LDBB has an outside chance to make the Blue Jackets lineup out of training camp. He has talent and can easily climb above some guys on the depth chart. However, with the added depth to the forward group, he is more likely to start the season back on the top line for the Cleveland Monsters.
He will likely be one of the first call-ups from Cleveland in case of an injury. However, don’t expect him to be a guy who is called up just to play on the 4th line. Management wants him playing in important roles and play big minutes.
He can achieve that by being on the top line in Cleveland and not playing a handful of minutes on the 4th line in Columbus. If he is called up to the Blue Jackets, it will likely be due to an injury to a forward in the top 9. He will be put into bigger roles on the Blue Jackets to aid in his development.
LDBB is in year 2 of 3 of his entry level contract, so he will be within the organization for the next 2 years. Due to his age (21) and upside, he will likely be within the organization for much longer than 2 years. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him eventually become a core piece of the team and be with the team 10+ years.
One bold prediction: Luca will start the season in Cleveland but will end the season as a permanent member of the CBJ.
Due to the number of forwards with NHL contracts, I expect LDBB will have an uphill climb to make the CBJ out of training camp. He will start the season in Cleveland and will continue to play a big role there. If any injuries occur to top forwards, I expect LDBB to fill in well.
He may play so well that it may be difficult for the club to send him back down to Cleveland. We saw this last year with a young Denton Mateychuk. He started in Cleveland, got his shot in Columbus, and then never looked back. I think that same path is very possible for LDBB.
LDBB is one of the better forward prospects within the Blue Jackets organization. While it will be unlikely to see him start the season with the CBJ, don’t be surprised to see him called up to Columbus throughout the season.