It’s a new era in Cleveland with a new coach and a new-look roster, yet it’s a big season for the Blue Jackets affiliate, who look to provide enough prospects to get this team back to the playoffs.
It’s hard to say that there’s more pressure on the Cleveland Monsters than usual. Yet, there is because of the NHL team they develop prospects for. The Columbus Blue Jackets have all of the pressure to make the playoffs this season after coming up short last season, and the clock is ticking on their star defenseman Zach Werenski.
The prospects developed by the Monsters must be ready right from the get-go. So, this team has a tough task ahead of them, plus they look to keep the winning culture that Trent Vogelhuber built over the years.
That leads to another obstacle for the Monsters. Vogelhuber was their head coach in recent years, and the team took on his identity. With the Blue Jackets promoting Vogelhuber as an assistant, they hired Nick Bootland, a head coach in waiting after years behind the Hershey Bears bench, who is ready to lead the Monsters into the new era.
Stats from 2025-26:
Record: 37-26-6-3 (3rd in the North Division, 6th in the Eastern Conference & 14th in the AHL)
Offense: 3.01 goals per game (20th in the AHL)
Defense: 3.15 goals per game (17th in the AHL)
The Burning Question: Can The Monsters Handle The Roster Overhaul?
If any team was most affected by free agency, it was the Monsters. They lost Brendan Gaunce, Zach Aston-Reese, Justin Pearson, Hunter McKown, Dysin Mayo, and Zach Sawchenko. That’s a combination of top-six centers, depth skaters, and players who were part of the Monsters' identity.
Plus, Luca Del Bel Belluz, their best player the last two seasons, became a complete two-way center and is expected to join the Blue Jackets this season. Throw in the Vogelhuber move to the NHL, and the Monsters are a noticeably different team from recent years.
The Monsters will lean on the prospects and ask more from them. Many teams go through this rebuild of sorts at the AHL level when they are younger and rely on their prospects to carry them. The question is whether the Monsters will have any weaknesses that let them down.
This team has plenty of positions in question. The centers are an unknown, especially with AHL vet Gaunce no longer on the team. Likewise, the defense and goaltending, which struggled for most of last season, could haunt them again this time around.
Why The Monsters Are Optimistic
The good news is that Nick Bootland is one of the best hires this summer. He’s highly regarded in the AHL as a longtime assistant for the Bears who waited for the right opportunity. He learned under Todd Nelson and Derek King, two experienced coaches, and will bring that winning pedigree with him.
Bootland knows how to handle the pressure because he saw it firsthand in Hershey. Now, he’s the head coach of a young Monsters team with question marks and an NHL affiliate's urge to make the playoffs. Bootland will be the calm presence behind the bench guiding this team through the season.
The few moves the Monsters made will also go a long way. Colton White is a veteran defenseman who adds stability, while Pheonix Copley is a goaltender with plenty of NHL experience under his belt.
The other plus is that the Blue Jackets have one of the best prospect pools in the league. So, they’ll have the prospects who can become key players on the Monsters and, eventually, the NHL team.
Prospects To Watch
Last season, the prospect everyone put a spotlight on was Luca Del Bel Belluz, a skilled but undersized center. His play and complete game removed any doubt that he belongs on the Blue Jackets. So, it’s on to the next wave of prospects.
Luca Pinelli impressed as a rookie, scoring 14 goals and adding 32 assists in 68 games. He’s 21 and is already developing into a skilled winger who makes the players around him better. He’s the player to watch in case the Blue Jackets need help on the wing.
Jack Williams was an older rookie at 24 years old. However, he proved he can be a middle-six center if needed, with 38 points and strong play on the defensive end. Another strong season from him will go a long way for the Monsters, especially since they need help up the middle.
He’s not a prospect, but Mikael Pyyhtia is a tweener and developing into a key part of the forward unit. He’s a winger with a great shot that helped him net 21 goals last season and can make him a player to watch down the road (plus, a staple of the Monsters' top six).
The big name to ponder is Oscar Hemming, the Blue Jackets first round pick. He’s expected to join the team out of camp and help them right from the opening puck drop. However, in the off chance that he’s not ready, he’ll start the season in Cleveland and be a high-impact winger.
