The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected defenseman Isaac Belliveau in the fifth round (No. 154 overall) of the NHL’s entry draft.
The left-handed Belliveau (6-foot-2, 184 pounds) had 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 37 regular season Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) games last season split between the Rimouski Oceanic and Gatineau Olympiques.
A native of Fleurimont, Quebec, the 18-year-old Belliveau appeared in four postseason games for Gatineau and recorded one assist this past spring.
“He can play both sides of the puck,” Penguins director of player personnel Chris Pryor said. “Sometimes he gets a little caught up. He’s just got to tone it a little bit but there’s a lot there to like. He’s a bigger kid. … He’s got a lot going for him. … Got a little bit of an edge to his game. He’s got some puck game. We were trying to get a little bit bigger if we can without losing the skillset. He checks a lot of those boxes. … There’s a lot of promise there.”
