This is my eighth profile of a Senator rookie.
Pat Cannone, LW, Contract: 0.6/12 (RFA)
FA 2011 (Murray), 6’0, Shoots R, YOB 1986, Bayport, NY
2008-09 NCAA 41-11-24-35 16pim
2009-10 NCAA 44-14-17-31 22pim
2010-11 NCAA 39-14-23-37 25pim
Another undrafted NCAA signing by Bryan Murray, Pat Cannone spent four seasons with Miami University (where Sens prospect Chris Wideman plays) after graduating from the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. Besides his ELC he also signed an ATO to join Binghamton, playing in a pair of games at the end of the season. He did not make it into the playoff lineup, so his pro sample is negligible.
Cannone describes himself as a smart player who tries to make players around him better. He wants “to be a smart, reliable player both offensively and defensively” (http://www.oxfordpress.com/oxford-sports/miami-university-redhawks/senior-forward-third-redhawk-to-sign-pro-deal-1129531.html). In his senior year he received an All-CCHA Honourable Mention while serving as co-captain of the team. The previous season he was named to the All-Midwest Regional team. Cannone‘s name was not among the top-20 NCAA free agents listed by Red Line Report this year (Stephane Da Costa was their #1), but he had expectations that someone would sign him.
Vic Brotzman, who covers Miami for the Miami Redhawk Examiner had this to say about Cannone: “The Senators are getting a solid prospect with a lot of upside in Pat Cannone. He is big and durable (never missed a game during his collegiate career) and a great leader and playmaker. As a co-captain for the RedHawks, he was an offensive standout (at least 30 points in each of his four seasons, including 37 this year) on a team crowded with some very prolific scorers. Cannone had the blessing/curse of playing all four of his years at Miami alongside classmates Andy Miele (2011 Hobey Baker Award winner, who led all D-1 scorers with 71 points) and Carter Camper (two-time Hobey Baker finalist, who leaves Miami as the second-highest points scorer in program history). If not for those two, Cannone might have scored even more than his 133 career points. Miami’s head coach Enrico Blasi doesn’t have his team play a fast-and-loose style of hockey, opting instead for a (team of) bruisers with pinpoint passing skills, but Cannone does have decent speed when he has an opportunity to use it. He is coming from a program that prides itself not just on offense, but defense as well (the ‘Hawks were 4th in the nation this year on both sides of scoring the puck). Pat is rarely caught out of position, and isn’t afraid to use his body to save a goal in a pinch. He might need a little bit of polish in the AHL, but I have no doubt that he will be a regular contributor for Ottawa in a short span of time” (the interview can be found here: http://senshot.com/2011/07/09/prospect-profile-pat-cannone).
There’s no reason to doubt that Cannone will start the year in Binghamton. I don’t see him cracking the team’s top-six, so will slide in to the third or fourth line. As for production, top NCAA players typically do well in the AHL, but given that Cannone isn’t guaranteed special teams time I see him clocking in at 15-20 points.
Cannone is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/pistolpat20
His Miami profile: http://www.muredhawks.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/ cannone_pat00.html
His senior speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wymYRqQXbDs
Louie Caporusso is my next rookie profile.
eyeonthesens 