Thank you to the 70 readers who voted in this year’s countdown of the 25 best players in the Columbus Blue Jackets system under the age of 25. Today we continue with #11:
#11 Luca Marrelli
Voting
11th out of 40
Total Points: 991
Average Placement: 13.958
Last Year: Not ranked
Biography
Birthdate: October 4, 2005
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 185 lbs
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Drafted in the Third Round (#86 overall) by Columbus in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft
2024-25 Season
As a Day Two pick last summer, Marrelli wasn’t able to crack this Top 25 a year ago. He probably should have gotten more consideration for his 57 points in 67 games in 2023-24 with the Oshawa Generals but this past season he made sure he could not be ignored. He recorded 19 goals and 55 assists for 74 total points in 67 games, with 21 PIM and a rating of +25. He added 36 points in the OHL playoffs in 21 games.
Don’t miss this profile from Scott Wheeler at The Athletic from March. He earns praise from the Oshawa staff for his hockey smarts, his maturity, and his perseverance in the aftermath of losing his mother to cancer.
2025-26 Outlook
Unfortunately, Marrelli had to have offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, per Aaron Portzline’s reporting this week. He is out until mid-December, and at that point will report to Cleveland for his professional debut. He only turns 20 in early October so he’s still quite young for a defenseman. If it takes him another year to reach the NHL, that’s OK. He has all the skills to stick around for awhile once he makes it, however.
The biggest block: the multi-year contracts for Dante Fabbro, Ivan Provorov, and Damon Severson, who are all either right-handed like Marrelli, or are penciled into the right side for the foreseeable future (like Provorov). Hopefully this doesn’t get in the way of Marrelli getting NHL reps once he’s ready.