Highly anticipated San Jose Sharks prospect Luca Cagnoni signed his NHL Entry Level Contract earlier today, and could be a part of the San Jose Barracuda as early as this October.
Who Is Luca Cagoni?
Cagnoni was a fourth round pick of the Sharks in the most recent NHL draft, going 123rd overall. He has spent the past three (and a bit) seasons with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, totalling 193 points in 204 games. Impressively, 90 of those points came this 23-24 season, when he scored 18 goals and added 72 assists to do something that hasn’t been done in the WHL in 30 years. The last defenceman to score 90 or more points in the WHL was in the 1993-94 season, when Shane Peacock had 92 points for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Despite being injured for part of the playoffs, Cagnoni also recorded 13 points in 13 postseason games, as the Winterhawks were defeated in the WHL Championship by the Moose Jaw Warriors.
At only 5’9 and 183lbs officially, Cagnoni is on the shorter side for a defenceman, but he’s an extremely effective two-way defender for the Winterhawks, as the WHL is a notoriously defence-heavy junior league.
To San Jose Or Back To Juniors?
Because Cagnoni turns 20 before December 31st, despite only being a year removed from his draft year, he’s AHL-eligible despite only turning 19 in December of last year. That means he has three pathways ahead of him: NHL, AHL, or back to the WHL for one final year. The NHL is possible, but seems unlikely; it’s rare that a teenage defenceman makes the jump to the NHL without at least a little bit of pro seasoning first, so the choice comes down to the San Jose Barracuda, or going back to Portland. With the understanding that many things are dependent on training camp, the rookie tournament and pre-season games, let’s look at both options.
The Case For The Barracuda
The Barracuda underachieved this season but are shaping up to be much better next year: sophomores Ethan Cardwell, Magnus Chrona and Georgi Romanov, fully healthy Tristen Robins and Daniiil Gushchin, returning veterans Scott Sabourin and Nathan Todd, as well as other exciting rookies in the forms of Filip Bystedt and Jake Furlong. Cagnoni will be stepping into a team brimming with potential, but with the space in San Jose’s top four for a young, skilled defenceman. He has nothing left to prove at the WHL level, so why not take the next step?
The Case For The Winterhawks
The Winterhawks made it to the WHL Championship and fell short, losing in four games to the Moose Jaw Warriors. It was announced after the final that Cagnoni had been diagnosed with a concussion, and there’s a world where he decides that he has unfinished business in the WHL and returns to try and win it all next year. I’m also a firm believer that you can’t overdevelop a defenceman, especially one in Cagnoni’s mold. Returning to the WHL, trying to beat his own record from the previous season, and further flattening out the (minor) flaws in his defensive game, as well as possibly putting on a little more weight, could be the best thing for his longevity in the NHL.
Final Thoughts
My knee-jerk reaction is that we get to see Cagnoni in the teal and steel at the beginning of the season at least. Due to the timing of his ELC signing, it is not eligible to slide to next season (usually with an ELC, if a player plays fewer than 10 NHL games in his first season, the ELC doesn’t kick in and can be pushed to start next season).
Cagnoni as a player has some kinks to work out in his game, but nothing that can’t be worked out while playing top four AHL minutes, and the Sharks organisation seems extremely high on their fourth round pick. If he’s struggling, there’s nothing stopping them from sending him back to the WHL, but playing in the AHL genuinely feels like the best place for him to play right now. Providing the Barracuda are committed to playing their young talent, at least.
