Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Luca Del Bel Belluz becoming a bona fide NHL prospect

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets:

Item No. 1: By any other name

Luca Del Bel Belluz’s name is distinct in its own right. But it’s a dream come true in a hockey dressing room where every player is tagged with a nickname, usually some variation of their name.

“Some guys call me Del Bel,” Del Bel Belluz told The Athletic. “Some guys call me Delly. I get Beller sometimes, and Bel. There’s the occasional Lukey. It’s kind of all over the place. A lot of different people call me a lot of different things.”

Here’s something else the hockey world is calling Del Bel Belluz: a bona fide NHL prospect.

The Blue Jackets’ second-round pick (No. 44) in 2022 has bloomed in his second season with AHL Cleveland, leading the American Hockey League in scoring with 17-19-36 in only 33 games. The 21-year-old center has already blown past the numbers he put up last season (9-22-31 in 58 games), his first as a pro.

For perspective: The Blue Jackets have never had a player finish among the top five scorers during an AHL season, mostly because they’ve all been recalled (rushed?) to Columbus to help the Blue Jackets at the very first sign of success.

It’s not as if the Blue Jackets haven’t thought about recalling Del Bel Belluz. Coach Dean Evason was surprisingly frank when asked about him on Friday.

“He’s playing great, obviously,” Evason said. “We had a good chat about him the other day, that if we’re in a spot (where we need a forward), he deserves — he has earned — the right to be here. We just don’t have a spot at this point.

“(Coach) Trent (Vogelhuber) has told us he’s doing all the right things in his development and playing extremely well, not only offensively — you can see the numbers — but he’s doing the right things defensively, as well.”

Del Bel Belluz said the Cleveland coaching staff, along with GM Chris Clark, was frank and direct last spring after the Monsters’ playoff run ended, telling him in their exit meeting that he needed to continue getting stronger and faster if he was going to play his way out of the minors.

“I went into summer with a real clear idea of what was needed,” Del Bel Belluz said. “I didn’t take any days off. This is what I want to do, and I’m very determined to do it. When they told me what to do, I got to it right away.”

For the two previous summers, he’d attended the highly respected summer camp run by former NHLer Gary Roberts, skating mostly with players from the junior and college ranks. But last summer, former Blue Jackets minor-leaguer Brendan Gaunce helped get him into camp with NHL players.

Connor McDavid was there. So were Steven Stamkos, Leon Draisaitl and others, Del Bel Belluz said.

“I was picking their brains as much as I could,” Del Bel Belluz said. “But mostly I was watching them … their habits, the way they go about their days, the way they treat their bodies. It’s not just going to the gym for an hour or two and calling it a day. It’s everything they do, from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed.

“By the end of last season in Cleveland, I was playing in a top-six role. I came into this season really wanting to be the guy. If I wasn’t going to be in Columbus, I wanted to be the guy in Cleveland.”

Del Bel Belluz had a hat trick in the second game of the season. He’s had four other games with two goals and has only once gone three games without a point.

AHL Cleveland assistant coach Mark Letestu, who played 567 NHL games with four different franchises, including two stints with Columbus, said there are distinct differences in Del Bel Belluz’s game this season.

“The reason for his success this year is he’s playing on the interior much more,” Letestu said. “He has scored and created much more around the net: tips, screens, rebounds, etc. That, combined with his ability to score from range, has really let his numbers take off.

“He doesn’t go stretches without goals or points because he’s playing in areas where they occur most. It’s difficult and it requires a price that others aren’t willing to pay, but he’s embraced that and he’s been rewarded for it.”

Or, as Del Bel Belluz put it: “You might get a couple more cross-checks, but you’re going to score if you go there.”

Del Bel Belluz said he’s not preoccupied with when the call from Columbus will happen. He made his NHL debut in the final Blue Jackets game last season and scored a goal on his first shot.

The Blue Jackets are as solid at center — Sean Monahan, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Sean Kuraly, etc. — as they’ve been in years, so a path to the NHL isn’t clear as of today. But if his development continues, and if he continues to get stronger and more explosive with his skating, the Jackets will make room.

“It’s good to hear they recognize (how the season is going),” Del Bel Belluz said. “Veteran guys and coaches keep telling me to just stick with it and eventually you’re going to get your chance. They say things like, ‘They see it. They notice it. It will come.’

“Whenever I walk into Vogie’s office, he drives the point home that goals and points are great, but the real goal here is to become a 200-foot player and be solid in all three zones.

“I’d love to be there today and be able to showcase what I can do. Hopefully, soon enough, I’ll get my chance.”

Item No. 2: So many goals

Through Saturday’s games, the Blue Jackets are the sixth-highest-scoring team in the NHL, averaging 3.38 goals per game. Put another way: They’ve been able to score enough goals to cover for their shoddy goaltending and maddeningly inconsistent defensive play.

With Saturday’s 6-4 win over the St. Louis Blues, the Blue Jackets have now scored six or more goals in a game for the ninth time this season, which will hit the midpoint — Game No. 41 — when Columbus plays in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Blue Jackets scored six-plus goals on eight occasions last season, so they’ve already surpassed that. The franchise record — 11 times during the 2018-19 season — is now in the crosshairs.

Other scoring stats to consider:

• The Blue Jackets are the highest-scoring home team in the NHL this season, averaging 4.1 goals per game in Nationwide Arena. With 86 goals in 21 home games, the Jackets are on pace to score 168 goals at home this season. (That’s a lot of cannonballs.) The previous franchise high is 139 goals, set in 2021-22.

• At 3.38 goals per game, the Jackets are on pace to score 277 goals this season, which would be a franchise record. The 2021-22 Blue Jackets scored 258 goals.

• The Blue Jackets have three players — Zach Werenski (45 points), Kirill Marchenko (43) and Monahan (40) — on pace for 80-point seasons. Only one player in franchise history has ever had an 80-point season: Artemi Panarin, who had 87 points in 2018-19 and 82 points in 2017-18.

Take 5 is a quick, breezy sitdown with a Blue Jackets player, coach or front-office staffer. This week’s features James van Riemsdyk:

1. What part of Columbus is home and why?

New Albany. I’m out there because a lot of the guys are out there, and I’d always heard good things about it. There’s nothing that’s too far away here. Renting a house last minute is never easy, but we found a good spot.

2. What’s your biggest surprise with Columbus?

I’ve been coming here a long time and I’ve heard so much about it, so I kinda had a clue already. But it’s just as nice as everybody says it is. I’d say the food scene is the biggest surprise. I’m very much into healthy eating, and there are a lot of options here. I still haven’t been to all of them, but the places I’ve found have been really high quality. It’s better than most cities.

3. Favorite restaurant in Columbus?

I’ve got a bunch. For casual, I’d say Town Hall and Bareburger right here near the rink (in the Short North), REBol (in Dublin) and True Food (Kitchen) out near us. Those are the ones I cycle through. As for nicer places, Martini (Short North) is obviously really good. The Guild House is a good spot. We like The Barn (in New Albany), too, and we’ve been to a couple of spots in German Village that were really good.

4. Who’s the best player you’ve played with and against?

Man, I’ve played with a lot of good ones. Z (Werenski) is right up there. Chris Pronger, Claude Giroux, Phil Kessel … oh, and Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. As far as against … Connor McDavid, for sure. But I’d put Sidney Crosby and Cale Makar there, too.

5. Which teammate should have a podcast?

I feel like (Dmitri) Voronkov would be a good one. He’d be like “Spittin’ Chiclets” style, with some really good stories. (Justin) Danforth would be really good. I’d put Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbranson there, too.

Item No. 4: Snacks

• With two assists on Saturday, Werenski extended his home points streak to 15 games, the longest by an NHL blueliner since Ray Bourque fashioned a 17-game home point streak with Boston during the 1992-93 season. The record is held by Paul Coffey, who scored at least a point in 23 straight home games with Edmonton during the 1985-86 season. The last time Werenski was held off the scoresheet in Nationwide Arena was Oct. 30 vs. the New York Islanders. During that 15-game span, Werenski has 9-21-30 with a plus-17 rating and 82 shots on goal.

• When watching the play Werenski made at 5:25 of the third period on Saturday, the numbers he’s piling up this season — 12-33-45 in 40 games, good for second in the NHL — only make sense. Werenski gathered the puck in his own end and curled behind the net to survey the ice as the Blues made a line change. Fantilli took off out of the zone with speed and Werenski sailed the puck his way with a perfect carom off the boards to avoid St. Louis’ Mathieu Joseph, the puck meeting Fantilli in stride at the far blue line. Fantilli scored his eighth of the season for a 4-1 lead. “We talked about it maybe 2-3 weeks ago,” Fantilli said. “When he’s behind the net and if one of their D is changing or has pinched, I’m going to take off and try to get the pass on the outside. We both kind of remembered that. I went for it and he put it right on my tape.”

• The Athletic had a chance to catch up with former Blue Jackets forward David Vyborny, who last week was named to the IIHF Hall of Fame. Vyborny didn’t stick in the NHL until after the Blue Jackets signed him as a 25-year-old free agent out of Europe ahead of their inaugural season. In 543 games with Columbus, he had 113 goals, 204 assists and 317 points, currently sixth on the franchise points list. Vyborny won five gold medals with Czechia at the World Championships and bronze medals at the 2006 Olympics, 2004 World Cup and 1993 and ’94 World Junior Championships. He went into the Hall with Henrik Lundqvist, Zdeno Chara, Frans Nielsen and three others.

• Vyborny said he was surprised to get the phone call. “I did not expect this at all,” he told The Athletic during an email exchange. “I will be turning 50 soon (Jan. 22), so this is the time the prizes are given. It is the prize of my hockey career.” Vyborny currently lives in Prague, where he and another former Jacket, Jakub Voracek, meet up to play tennis and have beers. He also has stayed in touch with longtime Blue Jackets trainer Jamie Healy. Asked for his favorite memory during his time with the Blue Jackets, Vyborny said: “That first game (in franchise history). My 100th goal (Dec. 28, 2006, vs. Detroit) and 500th game (Nov. 24, 2007, vs. Detroit).”

• After seven straight healthy scratches, Blue Jackets winger Kevin Labanc was expected to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Blues. But he had to miss the game for the best reason imaginable: Lara Grace Labanc, all 6 pounds and 2 ounces of her, entered the world on Saturday. Kelly Labanc and the little one are doing well, the veteran forward informed the Blue Jackets this morning.

• Blue Jackets forward Mikael Pyyhtiä scored the first short-handed goal of his career on Saturday only 11 seconds after the Blues went on the power play. Monahan won a defensive-zone faceoff and Ivan Provorov skated the puck out of the zone, finding Pyyhtiä with speed entering the neutral zone. He skated around former Blue Jackets winger Brandon Saad for a clean look at goaltender Joel Hofer. Scoring 11 seconds into a penalty kill is not a franchise record, but it’s darn impressive considering the ensuing draws are taken in the offensive zone for the club on the power play. Twice the Jackets have scored a short-handed goal only six seconds into a kill, according to the league: Cam Atkinson on Feb. 8, 2021, vs. Carolina, and Werenski on Dec. 21, 2019, vs. New Jersey.

• Sunday Gathering trivia question: Detroit’s Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist on Thursday in a 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets, giving him 27-56-83 in his career (62 games) against the Blue Jackets. Most of that damage, of course, was done with the Chicago Blackhawks when the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets played in the NHL’s Central Division. Kane’s assists and points are the most by any opponent against the Blue Jackets. But which player, active or retired, has scored the most goals against Columbus?

• The Blue Jackets had two players participate in the World Junior Championship this year. Forward Luca Pinelli, a fourth-round pick (No. 114) in 2023, had 1-1-2 and eight penalty minutes in five games for Team Canada, which lost in the quarterfinals. Goaltender Melvin Strahl, drafted one round later than Pinelli in the same draft (No. 156) did not appear in a game for Sweden, which was bounced by Finland in the semifinals. The United States plays Finland today in Ottawa for gold.

• AHL Cleveland beat the Toronto Marlies 3-1 on Saturday with goals from Stanislav Svozil, Gavin Brindley and Dylan Gambrell; two assists from Owen Sillinger and 33 saves by Jet Greaves. It marked the 14th straight win by the Monsters over the Marlies dating back to Nov. 2022, which is pretty impressive considering the Marlies have had winning teams in all three seasons. They get a chance to push it to 15 games when they meet again today at 4 p.m.

• Trivia answer: It’s another Patrick — Patrick Sharp — whose 28 goals vs. Columbus rank as the most by an opponent. Sharp had 28-21-49 in 51 games vs. Columbus with Philadelphia, Chicago and Dallas. Other goal leaders against the Blue Jackets: Kane and Jarome Iginla (27), Alex Ovechkin (26), Keith Tkachuk (24), David Legwand (23) and Teemu Selanne, Pavel Datsyuk, Corey Perry and David Backes (21).

(Photo of Luca Del Bel Belluz: Russell LaBounty / Imagn Images)



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