Sharks sign high-scoring defenseman prospect to NHL contract

The San Jose Sharks have signed Luca Cagnoni, an offensively prolific defenseman, to a standard three-year entry-level contract.

The deal carries an average annual value of $950,000 and a cap hit of $895,000 at the NHL level, per PuckPedia.

The 19-year-old Cagnoni, a fourth-round draft pick by the Sharks last year, finished the regular season with 90 points in 65 games for the Portland Winterhawks as he became the first Western Hockey League defenseman in over 30 years to record 90 points in a season.

“Luca is an intelligent two-way defenseman with a strong playmaking skillset,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “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.“

Cagnoni and his Portland Winterhawks advanced to the WHL championship but were swept 4-0 in their best-of-seven series with the Moose Jaw Warriors last week. Cagnoni, listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, scored 13 points in 13 playoff games for Portland.

The Sharks have now signed three of their nine draft picks from last year, with forwards Quentin Musty of the Sudbury Wolves and Kasper Halttunen of the London Knights inking deals last year. Musty was taken 26th overall, and Hattunen, set to compete in the Memorial Cup with the Knights, was taken 36th overall.

Cagnoni was taken 123rd overall last year after he had 67 points, including 47 assists, in 64 games in 2022-2023 for the Winterhawks.

Cagnoni, a  Burnaby, B.C. native, was one of three defensemen the Sharks selected in 2023, along with Swedish-born Axel Landen (130th overall) and American Eric Pohlkamp (132nd overall).

Cagnoni is expected to attend the Sharks’ development camp this summer and the team’s main training camp in September but will likely return to the WHL for another season of junior hockey. If that happens, his contract will slide for at least another year.