Luca Pinelli has officially signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Luca Pinelli has officially signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Luca Pinelli 114th overall in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He is the third player from that Columbus draft class to have signed with the team — Adam Fantilli and Gavin Brindley are the others.
He recorded 63 points in 67 regular season games last year before excelling in the playoffs with 18 points in 11 games. Ottawa named Pinelli their 20th captain in franchise history before the start of the season. He led the way with his intensity on and off the ice and finished the season with 48 goals, 22 more goals than second on the 67's
Luca is the younger brother of former Kitchener Rangers captain, and Los Angeles Kings prospect, Francesco Pinelli. Some bragging rights have been established as Luca's 48 goals are more than Francesco could muster up in a single season.
There's also some familiarity with the Pinelli family and Columbus' budding star Adam Fantilli. Fantilli and Francesco Pinelli played together in the GTHL for the U16 Toronto Red Wings - Adam was playing a year up - and both wreaked havoc in the U16 age group. Their team made it to the OHL Cup Final that season but sadly fell short to that dominant 2018-19 Don Mills Flyers team led by Shane Wright, Brennan Othmann, Brandt Clarke, and Liam Arnsby.
Luca and Ottawa's season came to an unfortunate end after they suffered a sweep from the hands of Oshawa in round two of the OHL Playoffs. His season is still ongoing, as he will be reporting to the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate on an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the season — the Cleveland Monsters.
Blue Jackets fans can expect to get another version of James Malatesta. What you're getting in Pinelli is a tenacious, extremely driven, and competitive athlete who hates losing. He leaves it all out there on every shift. He's got the pace to be an effective F1 on the forecheck or be the forward staying high to neutralize counterattacks.
Offensively there's a lot of speed and skill in the way he attacks. He actively searches for open pockets to slither his way through and although he had more goals than assists this year, his playmaking vision is terrific.
An NHL comparable you can give Luca is Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde. An undersized center who can shift to the wing if need be, but a fiery player who can get under his opponent's skin, and chip in offensively when needed.
Related: London Knights Forward Max McCue Signs NHL Entry Level Deal with Columbus Blue Jackets
Related: Kitchener Rangers Forward Carson Rehkopf Signs Entry-Level Contract with Seattle Kraken