Macklin Celebrini might have scored for the San Jose Sharks on Friday in their 3-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club at the Rookie Faceoff event in Southern California.
But he was hardly the only impact player, as coach John McCarthy’s stacked team – which features six first-round picks — had a handful of notable performances.
Here are three of the players who stood out Friday.
1. ETHAN CARDWELL: Not only did he score the winner against Utah, streaking down the right wing before beating Thornton up high, but he also played a simple, smart, heady game.
Named the Sharks’ top prospect after the 2022-23 season, Cardwell is a player who not only has some offensive upside — as evidenced by 23 goals as an AHL rookie last season — but is also responsible on the defensive end. He earned the trust of coach John McCarthy last season and was one of the first two forwards on the ice Friday when the Sharks killed their first penalty.
Cardwell is expected to start the season in the AHL. But if he can continue to establish himself as a reliable two-way player, it’ll make a call-up to the NHL sometime this season all that more realistic.
2. FILIP BYSTEDT: Perhaps forgotten amid the hype and hoopla surrounding Celebrini and Smith is fellow first-rounder Bystedt, a solid center prospect in his own right. He might not project to be an elite scorer at the NHL level, but guys with his size, skill, and hockey sense quickly rise up the ranks.
Bystedt, too, played a heady game Friday on a line with Cardwell and Mitchell Russell, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can push for a Sharks roster spot as the month goes on. The Sharks were OK trading David Edstrom to Nashville as part of the Yaroslav Askarov deal because they had Bystedt, a year older than Edstrom and farther along in his development.
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3. LUCA CAGNONI: The 5-9 Cagnoni, a fourth-round pick in 2023, has been an offensive machine for the Portland Winterhawks the last two seasons and hopes to begin his pro career this fall. Certainly, he didn’t look out of place on Friday’s No. 1 power-play unit with the nifty assist on Celebrini’s goal. Besides his four shots on net, Cagnoni also held his own in the defensive end.
While Cagnoni possesses natural offensive skills, the real tests will come when NHL training camp begins. He will start having to compete against seasoned veterans, not only in practice but also in preseason games. How he does there will help determine whether he’s ready for pro hockey, as he remains three months away from his 20th birthday and could be sent back to the WHL.
