Editor's note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on X at @Sheng_Peng.
We have to remember to grade Luca Cagnoni’s NHL debut on a curve.
He’s a 20-year-old defenseman, the hardest position to learn in the NHL, playing his first game against the Carolina Hurricanes, arguably the most ferocious forecheck in the league.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
I get there’s a lot of excitement for his debut, given his show-stopping rookie AHL campaign so far. The 2023 fourth-round pick is second among all AHL defensemen with 47 points.
But the AHL isn’t the NHL, as Cagnoni saw first-hand in a 3-1 San Jose Sharks defeat.
That said, there are three things that I liked about Cagnoni’s NHL debut.
More of these three positives, and less of the negatives — the 5-foot-9 defender was frustrated by the big bad Canes’ forecheck and was bodied at times — and he’s going to be just fine. No player is perfect, you’re just looking for, big picture, a consistent net positive effect on games.
San Jose Sharks
Find the latest San Jose Sharks news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
