Penguins hope to hit on Belliveau as his development continues into the new season.
A first professional season for former fifth round pick Isaac Belliveau sees him spend most of his time in Wheeling but the opportunity for a promotion in 2024-25 exists and the Penguins are counting on him to take the next step in his development.
Graduates and departed players from last year’s list
The best of the rest
#25: Raivis Ansons
#24: Kirill Tankov
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After four years of junior level hockey in the QMJHL, defenseman Isaac Belliveau made the jump to professional hockey full time in 2023-24, spending most of his first season in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers. Belliveau had a short stint in the AHL, playing two games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but the rest of the season he was in Wheeling.
Last year at this time, Belliveau was ranked No. 13 in our annual countdown, but he suffered a big slide on this year’s list, falling 10 slots and almost out of prospect picture in a weak Penguins system.
According to Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live, Belliveau spending the bulk of his season in the ECHL didn’t necessarily reflect his play or the organization’s outlook on his future, it was more about Kyle Dubas and the development style he brought to the Penguins.
Having had a background in the development side of the game given his experience with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, Dubas sees the value of playing time at lower levels. With regards to the Penguins, that approach manifested itself in how many of the team’s legit prospects were assigned to the Wheeling Nailers.
To open the season, five players signed to NHL contracts were stationed in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. It is believed to be the first time the Nailers had that many players with NHL deals on the roster since becoming an affiliate of the Penguins in 1998.
Belliveau was one of those who wound up with the Nailers. Instead of being a semi-regular healthy scratch with the veteran-laden Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Belliveau saw ample playing time in his first professional season and led all Nailers defensemen in scoring.
All in all, Belliveau put together a solid first professional campaign with the Nailers and will look to make the jump to the AHL in 2024-25 with a litany of AHL players from last season moving on in the offseason and making room on the roster for promotions within the organization, most notably for guys like Belliveau.
BELLI BELLI BELLI
— Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) March 10, 2024
Isaac Belliveau evens things up at 2-2! #ForgeTheFuture pic.twitter.com/Fe2VGvbADA
BELLI TAKES THE LEAD
— Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) February 1, 2024
Isaac Belliveau gets his second of the night and makes it a 3-2 game! Nailers lead! #ForgeTheFuture pic.twitter.com/IhsBZJmcXT
This coming season will present a new opportunity for Belliveau to make an impression and continue his development as a professional and hopefully keep climbing the ranks within the Penguins system.
It’s no secret the organization is starving for young talent and developing that talent been an emphasis of Dubas’ not only here but also when he was in Toronto. Belliveau is exactly the type of player the Penguins must hope to hit on as a later round draft pick to help refill the prospect cupboards as they transition into a rebuild.
