Don Waddell was quick to add veterans to the Blue Jackets lineup after they hired him early in the off-season. Part of the idea was to help the NHL team take a step forward. The other part of the idea? Allowing their prospects time to develop in the AHL. In the case of Luca del bel Belluz, it's paying off big time for both the player and the Cleveland Monsters.
Drafted by the Blue Jackets in the second round (#44 overall) at the 2022 NHL Draft, del bel Belluz played one more season in the OHL before turning pro last year. He had a solid, if not quiet debut season with the Monsters, scoring 9 goals and 31 points in 58 games. He followed that up with an even more quiet playoff run - 1 goal and 2 points in 9 games played.
The highlight of his year was undoubtedly making his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets late last season - scoring his first career NHL goal on his second shift in the league:
Say it with us LUCA DEL BEL BELLUZ!!!! 🗣🗣🗣
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 16, 2024
#65 WITH HIS 1ST NHL GOAL, IN HIS 1ST NHL GAME, ON HIS 1ST SHOT 🤯@Nationwide | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/0fyZdCbcuA
His role has been elevated this season, and he has responded...
Last year, Luca was part of the depth down the middle for the Monsters, stuck behind AHL veterans. This year has been different however - he's been centering the top line so far. And, he's responded, scoring 6 goals and 13 points in the first 15 games of the season; currently 5th on the team. Maybe most impressive: he has yet to take a minor penalty. In fact, in 82 career AHL games (including playoffs), he has just 16 minutes in the box.
The best thing about this season? He's playing center, and doing quite well. Though they have gotten better down the middle this year, this is a position that has haunted the Blue Jackets for their entire existence. Now, they have one of the top prospect pools in the league at the position, and we cannot overlook del bel Belluz. He's a big part of it.
He won't have an easy path to the NHL by any means; with Adam Fantilli, Cayden Lindstrom, Cole Sillinger and Dmitri Voronkov all in the mix. But, at some point, I do think Luca will push for a job in the NHL, and you can always shift someone to the wing. It's a lot easier to do that, than it is to teach a winger how to play down the middle. You can never have too many centers.
Ultimately, I think his role in Columbus will be that of a middle-six forward. He'll chip in some secondary scoring, be responsible on both sides of the puck, and give the team reliable minutes against any opposition. In due time.