Penguins prospect Isaac Belliveau benefited from an elevated role with the Nailers

The Wheeling Nailers looked different at the start of the 2023-24 season.

There were five players with NHL contracts on the roster when the Pittsburgh Penguins’ ECHL affiliate opened play Oct. 21. And, in total, seven players with NHL deals played for the Nailers last season.

Under new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, the Penguins placed a greater emphasis on getting prospects playing time in prominent roles, even at a lower level, instead of having them skate in lesser deployments or even serve as healthy scratches with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Defenseman Isaac Belliveau was one of those stationed in the Northern panhandle of West Virginia.

He doesn’t hide the notion that such an assignment wasn’t his first choice.

Though he vividly acknowledges the benefits.

“My goal was to be in the AHL at the beginning of the year,” Belliveau said. “But I played in the (ECHL). I played more minutes there. That was nice. The coaching staff was very good with me. It was a good season for me.”

A fifth-round pick (No. 154 overall) in 2021, the left-handed Belliveau enjoyed a productive debut professional season with Wheeling. Appearing in 70 games, Belliveau finished fourth on the team in scoring with 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists).

Presumably, he might not have been able to skate on the top pairing or top power-play unit as often with a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton squad full of veteran left-handed defensemen.

“I’m young,” the 21-year-old said. “I want to (improve) my hockey. I think it was the best decision for me (to primarily play with Wheeling).”

A significant portion of that development unfolded away from the rink as well. A native of Fleurimont, Quebec, Belliveau had to figure out the off-ice requirement of being a professional.

“My mom and dad (are) not there with me,” Belliveau said during the Penguins’ development camp in Cranberry earlier this month. “It’s different. I was better (at) cooking and all this stuff. I had a good roommate. (Penguins forward prospect) Jordan Frasca was with me. He was helping me a little bit.

“The sleep is the most important thing if you want to recover. Diet and nutrition is big. The sleep and nutrition (are) very important.”

In April, when injuries impacted the NHL roster and prompted some recalls off Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s blue line, Belliveau was summoned to Northeastern Pennsylvania and appeared in two AHL contests.

A somewhat large body at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Belliveau offers a blend of moderately physical play with a confident offensive touch. There figures to be a greater opportunity for him to show off his assets with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next season.

But it’s not guaranteed.

Incumbent left-handed defensemen such as Xavier Ouellet, Jack Rathbone, Dmitri Samorukov and Ty Smith have moved on, and arriving southpaw blueliners such as Filip Kral, Owen Pickering and Emil Pieniniemi are all candidates to claim roles with the AHL Penguins.

Belliveau knows there is a crowd. But his pursuit remains true as he enters his second professional season.

“My goal is to play in the National Hockey League,” Belliveau said. “But the first step is to play (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). That’s my goal. I want to be the best hockey player I can.”

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