The Columbus Blue Jackets are slowly whittling down their training camp roster. As a result, we’re starting to see a general idea of what their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, could look like this coming season.
In the most recent cuts on Sunday, names such as Luca Del Bel Belluz, James Malatesta, Corson Ceulemans, and Stanislav Svozil were assigned to the Monsters. As a result, the Monsters’ roster appears to be a strong one, as they’ll look to build on a strong 2024-25 season.
Forwards
Starting with Del Bel Belluz, the Blue Jackets’ second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, he took a major step forward during his second full season at the professional level. The Woodbridge, Ontario native flew under the radar a bit during his first season, until he instantly endeared himself to Blue Jackets fans by scoring in his NHL debut.
Del Bel Belluz got additional playing time in the NHL last season, but most importantly, his AHL production took a substantial step forward. In 61 games with the Monsters, he scored 27 goals and added 26 assists.
Malatesta, on the other hand, was less productive during his second professional season, but also missed quite a bit of time. Between the NHL and AHL, he only played 43 games last season due to an upper-body injury. During that time, he failed to record an NHL point, although he only made two appearances. In his 41 AHL appearances, he had eight goals and totaled 14 points. His physicality still remained, though, as he recorded 49 penalty minutes during his limited ice time.
Key Defensemen
On the blue line, Svozil faced a bit of a sophomore slump offensively, as last season, his points-per-game pace slowed compared to his first full professional season. In his first season, he registered 23 points in 57 games. Despite playing six more games the following season, he only added a single additional point.
Considering Svozil will turn 23 years old just after the new year, it’s going to be interesting to see if he gets any more opportunities in the NHL, as his last appearance with the Blue Jackets came at the tail end of the 2022-23 season.
Meanwhile, Ceulemans is a few months younger than Svozil, but has yet to record a full season at the AHL level. He’s been in and out of the lineup consistently. Last season, for example, he only appeared in 33 games. At this stage in his career, he is a great player, but his development is being hindered substantially. As the 25th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Blue Jackets have had high hopes for him, but it seems crucial that he stays healthy and in the lineup this season. If he can, he’ll undoubtedly be a key piece for the Monsters’ defense.
There are a few more cuts that the Blue Jackets will have to make before the season fully starts, with names like Ivan Fedotov and Christian Jaros likely to start the season in the AHL, which will only make the team stronger.
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The Monsters made it past the first round of the AHL Playoffs last season as they defeated the Toronto Marlies, but they ultimately lost to former head coach Pascal Vincent and his Laval Rocket in the second round. They’re going to want to take another step forward, and potentially walk away with the Calder Cup when all is said and done. With the way the roster is currently built, with some of the most recent Blue Jackets cuts leading the way, there’s a good chance they can take that step toward their ultimate goal.
