by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of The Hockey News.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' 2023 season is in full swing and many fans wonder what kind of prospects the team has in the minors. Draft 412 will review the top Penguins' prospects and offer insights as to when they may appear in the league.
Name- Isaac Belliveau
Pos- D
Team- Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
HT/WT- 6’2” 185 lbs.
Born- 11/26/2002
Home – Fleurimont, PQ
Isaac Belliveau was drafted in the 5th round of the 2021 NHL draft and since then, Belliveau has seen his numbers improve each season in the QMJHL, where he plays for the Gatineau Olympiques. Last season, he had 11 goals and 35 assists in 55 games. In the past two seasons, Belliveau has scored 84 points in 122 games and is considered one of the best offensive defensemen in the Penguins' system.
Belliveau skated and played in training camp and grabbed ice time in exhibition games for the Penguins this season, turning some heads with his size and skating ability. Though there was no chance of him making the big league squad, he put himself on the big club’s radar as a future defenseman who could step in if injuries attack the Penguins' back end.
He was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton out of camp, but after being a healthy scratch in the first game of the season, the Penguins reassigned him to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. This is his first professional season and the Penguins want to see him get as much ice time as possible with the Nailers. In 5 games this year, he has 1 goal and 1 assist and is a +6 in plus/minus rating.
Isaac Belliveau is a smooth skating defenseman, who understands his role in all 3 zones. At 6’2”, he has size and uses his reach and stick well to poke check opposing forwards in his zone. He has all the skills you need to be a power play quarterback and is an excellent passer. He walks the blue line to set up better passing and shooting lanes and understands his positioning. Belliveau has a high hockey IQ and is instinctive when jumping in on the play.
Belliveau needs to work on his strength though, and to his credit, has gained 10 plus pounds since being drafted. To excel at the next level, he needs to have a playing weight of 200 lbs. to take full advantage of his 6’2” frame. Though he gets his shots through to the net, he needs to add some velocity to his shot to improve his chances to score and to create rebounds. He has size, but plays a soft style of defense and has to learn to be more abrasive.
Final Analysis
Isaac Belliveau is an up and coming prospect who could be the next offensive defenseman that gets plugged into the Penguins' roster. He will need at least a season or two to adjust to minor league hockey and to continue adding strength to his frame.
Working with two of the best offensive defensemen in the league (Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang) can only help Belliveau as he works his way through the system. Belliveau may be a trade piece for Dubas as well if the Penguins find themselves with a big need down the stretch.
Isaac Belliveau
Defense
Born Nov 26 2002 -- Fleurimont, PQ
Height 6.02 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots L
Selected by Pittsburgh Penguins round 5 #154 overall 2021 NHL Entry Draft
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
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2018-19 Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL 1 0 1 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
2019-20 Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL 62 11 42 53 22
2020-21 Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL 16 1 4 5 12 -- -- -- -- --
2020-21 Gatineau Olympiques QMJHL 21 4 8 12 12 4 0 1 1 4
2021-22 Gatineau Olympiques QMJHL 67 10 28 38 35 7 3 1 4 6
2022-23 Gatineau Olympiques QMJHL 55 11 35 46 52 13 1 6 7 25
2023-24 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton AHL Statistics Unavailable
Pe*
2023-24 Wheeling Nailers ECHL 5 1 1 2 0
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