There is always a danger of getting carried away in the first days of training camp. But sometimes the early signs are too loud to ignore, and that is where the San Jose Sharks find themselves with Luca Cagnoni and Ivar Stenberg. One is trying to turn a strong run of AHL production into an NHL opportunity. The other arrived with the weight of being the No. 2 overall pick in June's NHL draft. Both have looked the part so far.
Ryan Warsofsky did not hide the fact that Cagnoni has caught the eye during the first two days. He said the young defenseman has “stacked two really good days,” and that is exactly the kind of language a player wants to hear when the Sharks have openings for a sixth and seventh defenseman on their 23-man roster to start the season. This is not a token look. This is a real chance to force the conversation.
Cagnoni has already built a case that he belongs in the picture. He posted 95 points in 131 career AHL regular season games over two seasons with the Barracuda, and that kind of output does not happen by accident. The problem for most young defensemen is that offense alone is not enough. You need to show you can handle the pace, the reads, the details. So far, Cagnoni is doing exactly what he needs to do: look confident, look comfortable, and make it hard for the coaching staff to leave him out.
Warsofsky's praise for Ivar Stenberg was different, but just as telling. The coach pointed to his smarts, saying his hockey sense is really good, that he sees the ice well, and that he has been picking up the systems quickly. For an 18-year-old coming in as the No. 2 overall pick in June's NHL draft, that matters. High draft status gets you attention. Understanding the game at this level gets you trust. Stenberg has already shown enough in camp to suggest he is not simply here to be watched.
There was also a physical note to Warsofsky's assessment, with the coach saying Stenberg looks a little bit bigger and stronger and a little bit quicker after a summer of hard work. That combination — sharper movement, better confidence with the puck, quicker adjustment to structure — is how young players move from promising to unavoidable. It is early, yes. But that is the whole point of camp: to see who arrives ready, and who merely arrives with potential.
For the Sharks, this is the best kind of early problem. Cagnoni is making the decision on the blue line more interesting, while Stenberg is giving them reason to believe the top-end talent is already settling in. If the club is serious about building something more stable, these are exactly the kinds of camp performances that matter. The names are young, but the opportunity is very real. And right now, both players are taking advantage of it.
