The road to the NHL isn’t a straight line, and for most players, it’s a roller coaster ride. Luca Del Bel Belluz is the case in point. He’s had brief stints in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets but most of his past three seasons have been with the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League (AHL). You May Also Like: Defenceman Thomson Recalled From Belleville Senators to Ottawa Senators [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/defenceman-thomson-recalled-from-belleville-senators-to-ottawa-senators] In Cleveland, he’s a star, one of the best players on the Monsters. In 164 AHL games, he’s scored 54 goals and added 78 assists, with 18 goals and 30 assists in 45 games this season. Del Bel Belluz makes any Blue Jackets fan wonder what he must do to remain with the NHL team and be a steady contributor. DEL BEL BELLUZ KEEPS ADDING MUSCLE “When someone tells you to get stronger, it’s not what you want to hear,” Del Bel Belluz noted in a conversation with The Hockey News. The skilled forward from Mississauga joined the Blue Jackets as a smaller player in the 160-pound range, and the team, knowing he’d get pushed around at that size, told him to build up strength to compete at the next level. “I’m not the first person who’s been told that. It’s part of the game, part of the business,” he added. When the Blue Jackets were drafting a player, they wanted to mold him into an NHLer. It’s why they took their time with the 44th pick in the 2023 draft, telling him to stay in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for an extra season before joining the Monsters. “Part of the task is growing into a man’s body, he’s still got a year or two of adding on muscle,” Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber added when talking about Del Bel Belluz after a 3-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack [https://clevelandmonsters.com/news/monsters-secure-two-points-against-wolf-pack-in-3-2-victory], a game where his top-line center scored a goal and added an assist. Related: Forward Pezzetta Recalled From Toronto Marlies to Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/forward-pezzetta-recalled-from-toronto-marlies-to-toronto-maple-leafs] Del Bel Belluz built up strength and is now on the verge of becoming a regular in the NHL. As a center, he must win puck battles and faceoffs while setting the tone on both ends of the middle. Along with the physical strength, with Del Bel Belluz closing in on 190 pounds, he’s built up his in-game strength to play in grind-it-out games. The latest game against the Wolf Pack was that type of battle, and he stood out for the Monsters to help them come out on top, notably with his play on the defensive end. “I’ve seen it from him, and it’s new for him. Filling in some of the gaps is where he has to be to go to the next level, and he’s been conscious of using the body in the past month,” Vogelhuber added. THE TWO-WAY DEVELOPMENT The skill was always there with Del Bel Belluz, and something everyone knew about by the time he was playing junior hockey. It’s why he’s had flashes in the NHL and is a steady contributor to the Monsters' offense. The question was whether he could defend, especially from the center position. “The next step is on the defensive side to hit, pin, and kill a little more consistently,” Vogelhuber noted after the Feb. 15, 5-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. For More: Defenseman Santini Recalled from Syracuse Crunch to Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/defenseman-santini-recalled-from-syracuse-crunch-to-tampa-bay-lightning-1] A few weeks later, Vogerhuber had seen the progress, allowing him to lean on Del Bel Belluz in all situations. “I’m winning more battles, I’m getting over pucks more,” Del Bel Belluz mentioned after the recent game as well. He’s using his speed to help out the defense. Del Bel Belluz closes in on skaters and wins loose pucks to turn defense into offense. Add in the physicality, and he’s become a complete player, someone the Blue Jackets can call up in the near future. WHERE DEL BEL BELLUZ MUST IMPROVE The big key for Del Bel Belluz is to play at this level consistently. In the AHL, a player can get away with a bad shift or a rough game, especially a talented player who can score a highlight goal to mask the errors. In the NHL, players don’t last with inconsistent play or a string of bad shifts in a row. For Del Bel Bellus, it’s about becoming a complete player while still leaning into the skill that got him to this level. “I have to work on my footspeed,” he mentioned when asked what he must do to stay in the NHL. He’s not coming in to replace Adam Fantilli, the top-line center and elite scorer on the Blue Jackets. It’s something Vogelhuber talked about after that Feb. 15 game that the Monsters aren’t preparing their prospects to replace Fantilli or Zach Werenski and instead, are looking to carve out unique roles on the roster. Del Bel Belluz is being developed to play a middle-six role, and it’s why he must keep building on the physicality and stretch that come with the center position in the NHL. THE TIMELINE FOR DEL BEL BELLUZ Fans will always see the highlights of a prospect and wonder why he’s not on the NHL team, and with rebuilding teams, they’ll demand that their teams “let the kids play!” Del Bel Belluz won’t be a regular in the NHL until next season, and it’s why he’s already looking forward to the summer, when he can train to put the finishing touches on his development. The Blue Jackets are in the final phases of a successful rebuild with the core and a plan in place. They might make the playoffs this season and aim higher next season, with their eyes on a Stanley Cup run. To get there, they’ll need depth, and it’s something Del Bel Belluz can provide. Now, it’s about him taking that next step and proving he belongs. “I have a lot of people behind me and wanting me to get to my goal.”
