The Blue Jackets didn’t spend much draft capital up top this year, which put the spotlight squarely on Oscar Hemming at No. 14 overall. But their class was built on a different idea: players with useful, translatable games and enough upside to become better than their draft slot suggests.
Alessandro Di Iorio fits that mold almost perfectly.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound center from Sarnia brings a little bit of everything to the table. He has leadership qualities, a developing two-way game and more offensive touch than his numbers might suggest. In a draft class where Columbus leaned into floor and projectable value, Di Iorio stands out as one of the clearest examples.
His season, though, was shaped by injury from the start.
Di Iorio was limited to 45 games with the Sarnia Sting after a lingering elbow injury suffered in a preseason game kept him out for the first third of the year. Even after he returned, the issue stuck around and affected some of his stick skills. That matters, because puck control is the one area where the rough edges really showed.
Still, he handled the year with maturity. Sarnia drafted him second overall in the 2024 OHL Draft after he impressed in U16 play, and when he came back into the lineup, he was named captain. That says plenty about the kind of presence he brings.
Production-wise, he finished with 31 points in those 45 games. Over a full 68-game season, that pace would have put him second on the team in scoring.
What jumps out most in his game is his spatial awareness. Di Iorio reads the ice well at both ends, whether he’s finding open space to create a chance or knowing when to simplify and protect the puck if his team is under pressure. That same feel shows up when Sarnia spends extended time in the offensive zone, where his vision and creativity can open up clean looks for teammates against tired defenders.
He also uses that awareness defensively. Di Iorio is a patient, passive defender who can erase options by taking away passing lanes. He helps cover for teammates who are caught up ice, and he’s often the first one in on the puck deep in his own zone.
There’s still some offensive pop in there, too, even with the limitations he dealt with. His best goal of the season came when he spotted an open lane, attacked with a toe drag and beat the goalie glove side.
WHAT A SHOT🚨
Alessandro Di Iorio toe drags and snipes to give the @StingHockey a lead with his 10th goal of the season! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/LooKTKKIX3
- Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 24, 2026
Di Iorio is headed back to Sarnia for his third OHL season, and the expectation is that a healthy year could change the conversation around him fast. He had enough going for him already that it’s fair to wonder how far he might have climbed without the elbow issue hanging over his season.
That’s the real story here. His draft slide seems tied more to what he couldn’t show than to any true lack of skill.
The injury muted his playmaking, and being on a weaker team made it even harder to stand out on the scoresheet. Even so, Columbus may have landed a player who can pay off quickly.
If he gets through a full season healthy, this could end up looking like a steal.
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