Luca Pinelli has had some of the most immediate success out of any late-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the last few years, and he carried it over to the professional level this season.
Drafted in the fourth round in 2023, Pinelli played as the captain for the Ottawa 67's for the next two years after he was drafted, and noticeably improved both seasons.
He finished his junior career in 2025 with 128 goals and 252 points in 246 games in the OHL, using his lethal shot and solid playmaking skills to consistently produce offensively. He even got the opportunity to represent Canada in the World Juniors, scoring two points in five games.
This led to rather high expectations for the 5'9, 165-pound forward as he prepared for his debut season with the Cleveland Monsters at just 20 years old, a sign of his strong development despite his later draft position.
Luca Pinelli stood out during his first year in Cleveland
Pinelli completely lived up to these expectations and more, as he finished third on the Monsters in points and even earned a brief call-up to the NHL.
He played in 68 out of the 72 games for Cleveland, tallying 14 goals and 46 points, leaning much more into his playmaking and well-rounded offensive ability while still remaining capable of scoring goals himself.
Although his defensive game could use some polish, especially if he wants to remain a center going forward (although unlikely due to his size), this level of offensive success during a player's first year in the AHL is pretty unusual.
For comparison, Luca Del Bel Belluz scored just 31 points in his first season with the Monsters at the same age. We've seen how he has progressed to the point where the Blue Jackets are almost trying to give him an NHL spot, so Pinelli scoring 15 more points in his debut is extremely promising.
Earlier this season, he scored his third career teddy bear toss goal (is that a record?) after doing it twice with Ottawa, and he showed how dangerous he can be in the open ice with a beautiful shot to release the stuffed animals once again.
the one that sent the fluff flying!! 🧸
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) December 20, 2025
🚨: Pinelli
🍎: Dumais & Sillinger pic.twitter.com/zoZrukgUe6
As I mentioned earlier, Pinelli's strong showing even earned him three games in the NHL, and although he failed to register a point in his 41 minutes of ice time, he looked comfortable at the top level and seemed to open some eyes to his early success.
I must admit I'm even a little surprised about the lack of conversation about the 21-year-old, as he might have an outside chance to crack the Blue Jackets roster on opening night, although the organization likely wants to see more sustained success in the minors before making that decision.
Regardless, this is a really strong start to Pinelli's career, and if he does return to the Monsters, I wouldn't be surprised to see him at the 2027 AHL All-Star Classic, which is conveniently being hosted in Cleveland.
Especially if his Monsters teammates Del Bel Belluz and Mikael Pyyhtia are able to earn a spot with the NHL club for the 2026-27 season, Pinelli may be the first man up to Columbus if injuries strike.
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