Following two standout seasons as captain of the Ottawa 67’s, Luca Pinelli’s future with the Columbus Blue Jackets is apparent. At just 20 years of age, Pinelli displays the tenacity of a veteran in his 30s, relentless on both ends of the ice. Defensively, he never misses a beat, whether back-checking or battling on the boards. Offensively, Pinelli’s hockey IQ and anticipation are exceptional, traits reminiscent of Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland. Pinelli is set to join the Cleveland Monsters in the upcoming season, where he will bring an unparalleled level of energy. For Pinelli to secure a roster spot in Columbus, he will need to match his relentless play with NHL-caliber skating.

As captain of the Ottawa 67’s, Pinelli leads by example with 33 goals and 31 assists in 47 games. His consistent offensive production combined with leadership qualities present a valuable asset to the Jackets young core. His selection to Team Canada for the World Juniors highlights his high end talent and readiness for pro competition in the near future.

Pinelli was selected 114th overall by the Blue Jackets.

Pinelli is a player I’ve personally watched well over 40 times now, as I’ve gone to most Ottawa 67’s home games in the past two seasons, and every time I watch him I increasingly appreciate the finer details of his game. Despite playing on the OHL’s best regular season team, the situation isn’t the greatest for Pinelli, as he’s lacked consistent linemates for much of the season and hasn’t gotten PP1 minutes since January, and that despite leading his team in playoff points. His game is built on a foundation of intelligence and plus-level tools. His shot has come a long way in the past year-and-a-half, to the point where he is a designated triggerman on the power play now, but his playmaking has been neglected as a result. The flashes of manipulative boards-to-middle playmaking remain very bright, however; he uses his plus-level handling and agility to quickly change angles on his passes, to great effect. While he is quite undersized, Pinelli plays with intensity and ferocity, rarely getting knocked off his feet; he is also a strong defensive player. While his lack of truly elite tools is (rightfully) a concern for quite a few public scouts, we’re confident enough in his ability to leverage his intelligence to make it work as an impactful middle-six NHLer to rank him inside our top 32.

Luca Pinelli may not be on the whole scouting world’s radar just yet, but he very soon will be. He does just about everything you could hope for an undersized centreman with limited skating ability to do, and he is a clear first-round talent, something I’m even more sure of now than I was when I campaigned to have him feature on DobberProspects’ preliminary rankings, on which he ended up an honorable mention, just missing out on the top-32. Pinelli is second on his team in points, with 10 – including five goals – through six games, behind draft+2 player Jack Beck, who has 11.