In today's entry in our summer prospect ranking, we have a player who was selected in the most recent draft, one of the two we ranked in our top 20. He flew under the radar during the draft, but will have a chance to prove himself this season.
The top prospects list was compiled by a collective ranking from all of the writers at Union and Blue: Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem. We only include players 24 years and under, with fewer than 25 NHL games. Stats are from the previous season, in the league where each player spent the most time. Projections are based on top-end upside.
Top Prospect #18: C Alessandro Di Iorio
How we ranked him: Weston (14), Matthew, Mike (17); Struan (18), Curtis (19). Last Year: N/A
Alessandro Di Iorio was taken in the third round of the draft, 94th overall. He played for the Sarnia Sting last year, a team that was in the closest thing junior hockey has to a rebuild, with the third-youngest roster in the OHL.
I already did a pretty deep dive into Di Iorio's stats, floor, ceiling, and overall value at that spot in the draft when we covered every pick the Blue Jackets made, so check that out if you want a more comprehensive idea of everything he offers in his game.
To summarize, Di Iorio brings a lot of things to the table that you want to see in a playmaking center. He has fantastic awareness combined with great creativity and skill when passing the puck.
His shot and puck-handling skills were inconsistent at times, but some of this can be attributed to the dislocated elbow that was nagging him for some part of the season.
Regardless, he still finished with 31 points in 45 games, a pace that would have seen him finish second on the team in scoring if he was able to play the full season.
Di Iorio is 6'1 and weighs around 195 pounds, which may not be particularly big for a center, but is most definitely a frame that can continue to play down the middle at the professional level.
Di Iorio also plays a solid defensive game, showing a great understanding of the game on both ends of the ice combined with good motor and effort. This was likely part of the reason why he was also named the Sting's captain at just 17 years old, with his maturity quickly being praised by his coaching staff.
Pros: High upside, two-way game, physicality, compete, underrated offensive skill
Cons: Unclear injury status, acceleration, consistency
Projection: Top-nine two-way forward with lineup flexibility
Di Iorio will return to the Sting next year before playing with Boston University for the 2027-28 season, which he announced his commitment to shortly after he was drafted.
This should be an excellent path for his development, as he can hopefully play a full season in juniors again to improve his offensive skill before heading to a more physical, mature league to polish and round out his game.
I think that Di Iorio has a real shot to be a difference-maker in the NHL, with the potential to have top-six talent without sacrificing anything defensively, although it's a bit too early to call at this point. He is the second-youngest player on this list, so it will take some time to see just how high his ceiling can be.
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