The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is just a few weeks away. At the end of this month, the league will convene in Music City, where the Nashville Predators will have 13 picks to use, including seven in the first three rounds, starting at 15th overall.
In my latest draft notebook, I broke down the game of three defenders who project to be top-60 picks.
Luca Cagnoni | D | Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Luca Cagnoni has a fascinating profile. Undrafted in the WHL, the 5’10” defender has worked his way up to being the Portland Winterhawks’ best blueliner over the past couple of seasons. After debuting with nine goals and 36 points in 63 games last year, Cagnoni increased his output to 17 goals and 64 points in 67 games in 2022-23—good for fourth among U19 defenders in the WHL this season.
Cagnoni remains undersized, but he’s an effective, above-average skater, who plays with good edgework and agility. Offensively, he loves to carve up the zone with the puck on his stick. He can map out the ice very well but needs to execute his offensive-zone passes better and problem-solve before stickhandling his way into sticky areas.
In transition, I’d like to see more intentionality from Cagnoni. He gets out of his defensive zone well and can make a good first pass, but again, needs to problem-solve a bit quicker.
Defensively, Cagnoni’s footwork gives him good positioning against most zone entries. But I’d like to see him expand his coverage by using his stick more effectively when closing gaps. With more muscle, he will be more successful in pinning opponents to the perimeter of the zone too.
All in all, he’s a high-ceiling defender, the kind of guy Barry Trotz may want to take a swing on in round two.
Matthew Mania | D | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
A former fourth-round pick in the OHL draft, the Florida-born Matthew Mania made his way to Canada last season after a four-game stint with Fargo of the USHL. Debuting with 13 points in 49 games for Sudbury last season, the 6’0″ blueliner led all Wolves’ defenders in scoring this season with ten goals and 38 points in 67 games.
Mania can be an exhilarating player to watch. He doesn’t jump in to lead the offensive rush with as much frequency as Cagnoni, but when he does he can dazzle. He has impressive edgework and some slick hands to stickhandle his way through neutral-zone obstacles. He’s got good offensive instincts in the zone, but I’d love for him to take his time with the puck at the point and use the skill he has to make more plays. Overall, though, he can get pucks on the net with a decent shooting ability.
His first passes are good, and he can reverse the ice pretty quickly once his opponents commit a turnover, but there’s still room to grow in his transition game.
Defensively is where I worry about Mania. His net-front defense is extremely lacking at times as he can cede a ton of space to opposing forwards; his reaction time to loose pucks is inconsistent despite having good footspeed. Against the rush, his pivot timing is interesting, to say the least. He has the agility and acceleration to close gaps well and force puck carriers to the perimeter of the zone, but he just needs to learn to use them better.
Mania might be a bit rich for me at picks 46 and 47, but there is a ton of offensive skill to build on if Nashville takes that chance.
Hunter Brzustewicz | D | Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Playing a similar style to both Cagnoni and Mania, Hunter Brzustewicz may be the most complete defender of the three. The 6’0″ American defender is a U.S. National Team Development Program alumnus, who headed for the OHL this season. In 68 games with the Kitchener Rangers, Brzustewicz scored six goals and 67 points—good for eighth among all OHL defenders.
Brzustewicz has decent skating mechanics and solid speed; while his stride extension could be a tad longer, his four-way mobility is quite effective in all three zones. He’s a confident passer out of his own zone and exhibits good patience with the puck in transition, evading forecheckers with his edgework and puck protection skills.
After his first pass, Brzustewicz often jumps into the rush, providing aggressive puck-support position and options for his teammates. In the offensive zone, he’s a distributor more than a shooter, stretching the zone with his skating skills and puck poise along the blue line.
Defensively, Brzustewicz’s gap control is solid, but his ability to mirror puck carriers can break down against faster skaters as he fails to use his stick to complement his body position. His in-zone defense is alright, but he sometimes suffers from the same affliction Mania does in clearing opponents away from his goalie.
If Nashville goes with two forwards in round one, I could see BRzustewicz being a serious option for them in the 40s.
All statistics are courtesy of eliteprospects.com or the ontariohockeyleague.com.
