The 2024 Rookie Faceoff has wrapped up, and the undefeated San Jose Sharks had quite a showing for themselves. One player who stood out but flew a little under the radar was Luca Cagnoni. His plans for the 2024-25 season aren’t set in stone yet, but he’s at the point where returning to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) likely wouldn’t benefit him any further. As a result, going professional seems like the right move.
Going Pro: The Likely Route
A report from SJ Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng came out shortly after the conclusion of the tournament stating that the Sharks’ plan for Cagnoni is to turn him professional this season. The San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) had a difficult season in 2023-24, and he would certainly bring a lot to their ranks.
Cagnoni himself also feels that he’s ready to make the jump. After the final game of the Rookie Faceoff, when asked about his plans for the coming season he said, “I think taking the next step from juniors to this is going to benefit me in the long run,” which heavily hints that he’s expecting to play in the AHL in 2024-25. He did say that nothing is set in stone though when asked if it was official that he’d be joining the Barracuda, stating “I’m not sure yet, but that’s the plan so far.”
The head coach of the Barracuda, John McCarthy, also had good things to say about the defenseman. “He played a lot of minutes, he handled it well. I was impressed with the way he handled himself and he played well. As far as what he’s going to do, that’s above my pay grade but I was encouraged by his play in the tournament.”
What Cagnoni Brings to San Jose
Cagnoni isn’t the biggest player and considering the Vegas Golden Knights have started a trend of putting together a bunch of massive defensemen who can clog up lanes, he’s a player who is going against what’s starting to become popular around the league. At 5-foot-9, he’s not going to be able to take up space as well as a prospect like Valtteri Pulli but Cagnoni does bring a lot to the table. He’s mostly known for his ability to quarterback the power play and contribute offensively. Last season with the Winterhawks, he put up a total of 90 points in 65 games, 72 of which were assists.
During the Rookie Faceoff, Cagnoni was asked about his offensive production at the tournament. He said, “It wasn’t really a focus for me but it’s part of my game.” He then added, “That’s my job but the other stuff just has to come along with it”. Despite not focusing on the offensive side of his game, he still found a way to put points on the board while being an all-around contributor for the Sharks. Over the weekend he made some key plays in the defensive zone as well. It’s clear that the offensive zone is still where he shines, but he’s making an impact in all areas of the ice. With Shakir Mukhamadullin unavailable for the Sharks at the tournament, Cagnoni and Sam Dickinson were the two players who really rose to the occasion to fill that hole. They weren’t easy shoes to fill, but it’s hard to argue they didn’t do so.
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Cagnoni is at the point in his career where playing at the WHL level would no longer benefit him. As a fourth-round pick, he’s developing at a rate that many didn’t expect from him. He’s already on pace to become a major steal from the 2023 Draft, and we’re barely a year removed from the event.
