Luca Cagnoni and Brandon Svoboda were both drafted by the San Jose Sharks this season and have made an impact at development camp.
Luca Cagnoni
Cagnoni was drafted 123 overall by the San Jose Sharks, and given his offensive potential, he could be the steal of the draft.
In 67 games for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL last season, Cagnoni had 64 points (17 goals, 47 assists).
"Coupling dynamic edge work with proactive activation, Cagnoni dissects the forecheck. He shifts one way, explodes in the opposite, hits the open teammate, then flies up the rink to become a lead pass option. Every one of his puck touches builds off the previous, creating further time and space up the rink. In the offensive zone, Cagnoni controls the game. He's a volume shooter but rarely takes a poor one. He starts – and finishes – passing plays and fakes shots to set up teammates around the slot," EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide.
In this drill, Cagnoni is able to skate freely without expending much energy. His first instinct is to move the puck up the ice and join the rush. He is also playing on the off-hand side.
In a game situation, this drill brings effectiveness to a completed forecheck. Cagnoni's ability to make the first pass cleanly is crucial to his game and what he can bring to the NHL.
Cagnoni's offensive skill will translate to the powerplay, and as seen in this clip, he can get a lot behind his one-timer. He can control the offensive blueline with a good shot and dynamic skating ability.
"I'm just gonna show off my offensive side but still be pretty good defensively and just show what kind of skill I have," Cagnoni said.
Brandon Svoboda
The San Jose Sharks selected Svoboda in the third round of this year's NHL draft. Svoboda is committed to Boston University but told the media he will play with the Youngstown Phantoms one more season.
In 59 games last season, Svoboda had 16 goals and ten assists. Listed at 6'3 and 212 LBS, he can be that big power forward the Sharks have been missing.
Although a small sample size, Svoboda's aggressiveness in front of the net is visible. He is right on top of the goalie's crease in the Pavelski deflection drill. With his size, even the biggest goalies in the NHL will struggle to see through him.
"My ability to play a 200-foot game. My defensive ability, smooth skating power-forward. My offensive ability, my ability to shoot the puck, and my compete level," Svoboda said about what the Sharks liked about him.
Footspeed is something for the youngster to work on, but his natural talent is there. Hockey IQ is all that is needed to make him a complete prospect.
The Sharks will scrimmage with all the players at development camp tonight at 6 p.m. at Tech Cu Arena.