A pocket-sized dynamo with high-end puck skills and offensive vision, Luca Cagnoni is pure dynamite in the opposition’s end. Capable of quarterbacking a power play, launching precise outlet passes to generate rushes and causing pure chaos in the offensive zone, Cagnoni represents a breed of defensemen not seen in San Jose since the days of Dan Boyle.
Most of Cagnoni’s career has been spent defying scouts who doubted him because of his size. Already passed up by several WHL teams despite multiple trials, Cagnoni only got his break in juniors because of COVID-19 gutting the league. But it was an opportunity he took with both hands, eventually becoming the most reliable defenseman on the Winterhawks and one of the best point-producers in the entire WHL.
Despite his high-end production in juniors, Cagnoni fell to the fourth round, a drop fueled primarily by reasonable concerns over his diminutive stature potentially not translating to professional hockey (seriously: you can count the number of 5’9” defenders in the NHL on your fingers). His first season with the Barracuda, however, showed that he was one of the unicorns capable of adapting to a much bigger and faster game in spite of his size, with 52 points in 64 AHL games accompanying his 2 assists in 6 NHL games.
Cagnoni was named to the AHL All-Rookie team and was given the Barracuda’s Rookie of the Year award to cap off a splendid first season in the professional leagues. For a player who was used to getting overlooked, it was a welcome change in recognition.
Position: Defense
Height: 5′9″
Weight: 180 pounds
Age: 20
Date of Birth: Dec. 21, 2004
Draft Year: 2023 (123rd overall by the San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Left
2025–26 Team: San Jose Barracuda (AHL), with potential NHL call ups
What we like
For a player to make it in the professional leagues as a 5’9” defender, they have to be phenomenal offensively to compensate for everything else. Cagnoni is no different — his skating is arguably among the best in the Sharks’ deep prospect pool, and his passing is even better. He’s able to make a lot of plays at high speed and is extremely nimble, with a low center of gravity.
Cagnoni is also durable and reliable — he’s shown himself capable of playing heavy minutes at every possible level, and while there were initial doubts over his ability to stick in the AHL this season, Cagnoni put all of those fears to rest within the first couple of games, showing maturity beyond his years in the offensive zone while being surprisingly competent defensively (his stick work, in particular, is really good). His power-play ability, in particular, is exceptional, and if everything else pans out, he could run the Sharks’ second unit for years to come.
Areas of improvement
Cagnoni’s biggest challenge will lie in convincing NHL coaches that he’s actually able to hack it at the highest level. The graveyard of failed prospects is littered with pint-sized heroes that found the speed and physicality of the NHL to be far too much to handle, and the things that players often do at lower levels to compensate for deficiencies elsewhere generally get exposed badly in the professional leagues.
Cagnoni is no different. However, with stars like Lane Hutson and Adam Fox having paved the way for smaller defensemen, he’ll have a much easier time convincing evaluators that he can do it.
It’s what he’s done for years.
What’s next for Cagnoni?
Cagnoni will likely spend most of the year in the AHL, filling in as an injury call up when necessary. He’ll look to improve his defensive game and further acclimatise to the professional leagues. His hockey IQ is among the best for any Sharks prospect I’ve seen in the AHL, and he can expect a lot of power-play time to refine some of his strongest skills as well. He’ll also look to bulk up a bit without losing his nimbleness, which will allow him to translate his game across levels more easily.
Highlight
Cagnoni didn’t net an NHL goal last season, but he did get to score one in preseason during a stellar training camp, which played a big role in convincing General Manager Mike Grier and Assistant General Manager Joe Will to send him to the Barracuda instead of going back to Portland.
Previous Top 25 Under 25 Posts
11. Collin Graf
12. Filip Bystedt
13. Joshua Ravensbergen
14. Kasper Halttunen
15. Eric Pohlkamp
16. Cam Lund
17. Ethan Cardwell
18. Haoxi Wang
19. Leo Sahlin Wallenius
20. Jack Thompson
21. Cole McKinney
22. Zack Ostapchuk
23. Mattias Havelid
24. Egor Afanasyev
25. Carson Wetsch
Honorable Mentions: Joey Muldowney, Jake Furlong, Brandon Svoboda, Nate Misskey, Gabriel Carriere
