Two Young Sharks Defensemen to Watch Entering Training Camp
Defense has been a major weak point for the San Jose Sharks for the past few years now. But during this offseason, General Manager Mike Grier has made multiple moves to strengthen his team’s blue line, trading for veterans Darnell Nurse and Michael Kesselring, signing Jacob Trouba, and bringing back Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson for this season. Some of these additions, mainly Nurse and Trouba, have been slightly controversial among Sharks fans, but these moves are an immediate upgrade to the Sharks’ d-core.
Heading into training camp, there are still a couple questions about the roster. One of them is who will round out that last spot on defense. There is a strong opportunity for some of the organization’s younger defensemen to grab that final spot and make the roster for Opening Night.
Luca Cagnoni
Standing at only 5-foot-9, Cagnoni is mostly known for his offensive play and production. The former 2023 fourth-round pick spent almost the entirety of last season with the San Jose Barracuda, putting up an impressive 43 points in 67 regular-season games. He did play three games for the Sharks at the end of the season, finishing with zero points, but he did see some ice time on the power play.
Despite being undersized, he has always been able to contribute offensively at every level he has played at. But questions still linger about whether his game can translate to the NHL. The biggest one concerns his size. While smaller defensemen can and do succeed at the NHL level, it is definitely not an easy challenge. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson at 5-foot-9 and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes at 5-foot-10 are both undersized, but both players have elite offensive and playmaking skills that made immediate NHL impacts. Cagnoni never had the same expectations or projections as either of these players, but a path to being a productive full-time NHLer does exist.
Eric Pohlkamp
Eric Pohlkamp, taken just nine picks after Cagnoni, just had a standout junior year playing in the NCAA for the University of Denver. He tallied 39 points in 43 games, not only leading his team in points but also leading the nation in points by a defenseman. He also finished as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the country’s top player, as he led his team to a national title.
Despite also being under 6 feet, he plays a very strong, physical, and aggressive defensive game. Offensively, he has a hard and heavy shot that he has used to routinely beat goalies from the blue line. This past April, Pohlkamp signed a two-year Entry Level Contract and will make his professional debut this season.
What’s Next?
Between Cagnoni and Pohlkamp, Cagnoni has the inside track to making the Sharks’ roster out of training camp. He has two years of professional hockey under his belt and a handful of NHL games. The Sharks currently have a need for left-handed defensemen to fully flesh out the blue line.
Should he make the team out of camp, he will most likely play third-pairing minutes, with maybe the occasional appearance on the power play. His closest competition for that last lineup spot will probably be 23-year-old Nolan Allan, who is also a left-shot defenseman.
Pohlkamp, on the other hand, will most likely make his professional debut with the Barracuda. The Sharks already have three right-handed defensemen in Trouba, Orlov, and Kesselring, so his path to an immediate NHL role is a little less clear.
But this will allow Pohlkamp to continue developing with the Barracuda, gaining confidence as he acclimates to the pace and skill of professional hockey. Should there be an injury, I would expect Pohlkamp to be one of the first call-ups.
The San Jose Sharks have two exciting and highly talented young defensemen who can both become core pieces of this team for years to come. It will be fun to watch and track their development as the youth movement in San Jose continues to surge forward.
