Joseph Blandisi

Joseph Blandisi (born July 18, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 162nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
==Playing career==
===Junior===
After playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Vaughan Vipers, Blandisi was selected in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, 61st overall, by the Owen Sound Attack. Upon completing his rookie season with the Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League, Blandisi was drafted in the sixth round, 162nd overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In his sophomore season in 2012–13, Blandisi was traded by the Owen Sound Attack to the Ottawa 67's in exchange for Cody Ceci on January 7, 2013. Despite lacking in height, Blandisi possessed a solid frame and improved upon his rookie season with 51 points in 63 games.
Blandisi's tenure in Ottawa was limited to exactly a year, for in the 2013–14 season on January 8, 2014, he was dealt by the rebuilding 67's to the Barrie Colts. Limited to just 47 games again due to injury, Blandisi still improved to a point-per-game scoring rate. In the off-season, Blandisi was not offered a contract by the Colorado Avalanche and was re-entered into the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, in which he was passed over.
In preparation for the 2014–15 season, Blandisi attended the Buffalo Sabres training camp by invitation on September 13, 2014. At the conclusion of camp he was returned to the Colts without a contract. Amongst the leadership group with the Colts, Blandisi was later named captain on November 19. He broke out offensively in his overage season and was leading the club in scoring when he was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on January 14, 2015. He finished the season leading the OHL in goal scoring with 52 markers in 68 games and placing fourth in overall scoring with 112 points. Upon the club's second-round exit in the post-season, Blandisi was award the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as the OHL's overage player of the year. He placed second in voting for the OHL's most outstanding player award, the Red Tilson Trophy, only to star phenomenon Connor McDavid.
===Professional===
After attending his first New Jersey Devils training camp, Blandisi was assigned to begin his professional career in the 2015–16 season with AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils on September 27, 2015. Blandisi made a quick transition to the pro level, maintaining a scoring presence on Albany's top line with 16 points in 18 games before he received his first recall to the NHL by the Devils on December 10, 2015. Centering a line between Kyle Palmieri and Jiří Tlustý, he made a successful NHL debut with the Devils in a 3–2 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings on December 11, 2015. He recorded his first NHL point, an assist, on a Lee Stempniak goal on January 12, 2016. On January 21, 2016, in a game against the Ottawa Senators, Blandisi netted his first NHL goal, and also had 2 assists as part of a 3-point first period that ended with a 5–0 Devils lead, their largest scoring output for a single period of the season.
Blandisi began the 2017–18 season, assigned to New Jersey's new AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. He collected 14 points in 19 games before the Devils traded Blandisi on November 30, 2017 along with Adam Henrique and a third-round draft pick in 2018 to the Anaheim Ducks for Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick in 2019 or 2020.
In the 2018–19 season, Blandisi began with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL before he was called up to the Ducks to feature in 3 scoreless games. After his return to the Gulls, Blandisi registered 23 points in 27 games, before he was traded by the Ducks to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Derek Grant on January 16, 2019.
In the 2019–20 season, Blandisi played 21 games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, registering 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists). On February 20, 2020 Blandisi was traded by the Penguins, along with Jake Lucchini to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Riley Barber and Phil Varone.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2010–11 	Vaughan Vipers 	OJHL 		7 	2 	0 	2 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	Owen Sound Attack 	OHL 		68 	17 	14 	31 	72 		5 	0 	1 	1 	8
2012–13 	Owen Sound Attack 	OHL 		37 	7 	18 	25 	49 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Ottawa 67's 	OHL 		26 	8 	18 	26 	68 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Ottawa 67's 	OHL 		37 	21 	16 	37 	57 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Barrie Colts 	OHL 		10 	3 	10 	13 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Barrie Colts 	OHL 		68 	52 	60 	112 	126 		9 	6 	8 	14 	22
2015–16 	Albany Devils 	AHL 		27 	9 	14 	23 	49 		11 	2 	1 	3 	14
2015–16 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 		41 	5 	12 	17 	34 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Albany Devils 	AHL 		31 	8 	17 	25 	60 		2 	0 	0 	0 	6
2016–17 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 		27 	3 	6 	9 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Binghamton Devils 	AHL 		19 	3 	11 	14 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Anaheim Ducks 	NHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	San Diego Gulls 	AHL 		27 	5 	10 	15 	40 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	San Diego Gulls 	AHL 		27 	8 	15 	23 	42 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Anaheim Ducks 	NHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		6 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		27 	9 	11 	20 	58 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		26 	6 	8 	14 	57 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		21 	2 	3 	5 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Laval Rocket 	AHL 		4 	1 	3 	4 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		101 	10 	21 	31 	78 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honours==
Award 	Year	
OHL 	OHL 	OHL
Third All-Star Team	2015	
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:1994 births
Category:Albany Devils players
Category:Anaheim Ducks players
Category:Barrie Colts players
Category:Binghamton Devils players
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:Laval Rocket players
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Ottawa 67's players
Category:Owen Sound Attack players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:San Diego Gulls (AHL) players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players