Pacific Division Prospects to Watch in 2024-25...These Kids Could Grab Some Attention
From blue-chippers to potential late-round gems, here are some prospects to watch from teams in the Pacific Division.
There are a lot of exciting prospects in the world right now, and many more to come once the next NHL Draft is complete. The 2024-25 season is now underway for many leagues, and I thought it would be great to highlight some of them in a series of articles. I will be dividing this up into divisions to keep it manageable. First up, the Pacific Division!
San Jose Sharks - Luca Cagnoni, San Jose Barracuda (AHL)
While Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith hope to tear it up in the NHL during their rookie seasons - Celebrini already has his first goal - Luca Cagnoni will be in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the San Jose Barracuda. Drafted by the Sharks in the fourth round of the 2023 Draft, the dynamic 5-foot-9 defenseman ripped up the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season with 18 goals and 90 points in 65 games and another three goals and 13 points in the playoffs as his Portland Winterhawks made it to the WHL Final.
Cagnoni finished his career in the WHL with an impressive 44 goals and 193 points in 205 games, leading all defenders in assists and points in his final season in the league. He will now look to bring his offensive game to the Barracuda where he will compete with the likes of other top prospects Jack Thompson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Jake Furlong for ice time.
Cagnoni’s calling card is his offensive awareness, without a doubt. He doesn’t have the best shot nor is he an elite skater, but his playmaking and hockey IQ make up for it. In his draft year, he was identified by Hadi Kalkeche as one of the smartest blueliners in his class and compared favorably by Josh Tessler of Smaht Scouting to Olen Zellweger of the Anaheim Ducks, who is also an elite offensive defenseman. All of this to say, keep an eye on Cagnoni in the AHL this season - he’s going to be fun to watch.
Anaheim Ducks - Beckett Sennecke, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Speaking of the Ducks, they have shocked the hockey world two drafts in a row by selecting players no one thought they were going to select. First, it was Leo Carlsson in 2023 when most pundits had them grabbing Adam Fantilli. Then, most recently in 2024, they made headlines by going a bit off the board and calling Beckett Sennecke’s name third overall when he was ranked between ninth and 16th.
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