Luca Cagnoni signs 3-year ELC

It’s official. Luca Cagnoni has signed his entry-level contract, likely indicating that he will join the San Jose Sharks organization in the fall. Cagnoni told reporters on a Zoom call that because of his late birthday, he’ll be 20, making him eligible for the AHL next season.

“Luca is an intelligent two-way defenseman with a strong playmaking skillset,” said General Manager Mike Grier in a news release. “He had an impressive season individually for the Winterhawks, showcasing his ability to make plays on the offensive side of the puck while also being an effective player in his own zone. We are happy to have him a part of the organization.“

Fins up! 🦈 pic.twitter.com/M7abHSq44l

— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) May 22, 2024

According to CapFriendly, Cagnoni’s contract is a three-year deal with a $950,000 AAV. That’s $855,000 in base salary each year and $95,000 annual bonuses. He becomes an RFA at the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. He will be 22.

Cagnoni had most points by WHL defenseman in 30 years

The new contract comes just weeks after the 123rd overall pick in the 2023 draft wrapped up one of the best seasons by a WHL defenseman in 30 years. The 19-year-old scored 90 points (18 G, 72 A) in 65 games this season. He also had a point per game in the postseason for the Portland Winterhawks, which lost to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL finals.

Impressively, Cagnoni told reporters that offense was not his focus this season because he knew he had that. Instead, he wanted to “dial in [the] d-zone,” understanding that becoming a two-way defenseman is the most important part for a defenseman who wants to play in the NHL.

Offense a key part of Cagnoni’s game

Despite the defense first focus this season, the two-way aspect of his game is still important. Cagnoni told reporters he understands that, given his size, the offense is important. He said he knows you “… can’t be a stay-at-home defenseman when you’re 5’ 10”.”

This season, he modeled his game after a player like Quinn Hughes, who has a similar build at 5’ 10”. Cagnoni also looked at players like Samuel Girard, who is also 5’ 10”, and Cale Makar, who is 6’ 0”, to take cues from.

Cagnoni worked closely with Sharks Development Coach Luca Sbisa, who was the most frequent member of the Sharks’ organization to visit him in Portland this season. He said even when Sbisa was not in town, the two had phone calls and check-ins to make sure he was focusing on the right things.

Cagnoni Celebrini connection

Cagnoni told reporters he’s excited about the Sharks’ number one overall pick and looks forward to hopefully playing with Macklin Celebrini at camp. He grew up in the Vancouver area, much like Celebrini, though he didn’t play with the presumptive number one overall pick.

When he was asked by the San Jose Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka, Cagnoni said he knew Celebrini’s brother Aiden better. Aiden Celebrini and Cagnoni played together on the Burnaby Winter Club U15 Prep team in the 2018-19 season.

The older Celebrini brother currently plays at Boston University and was picked 171st overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2023.