Canonica is a quick and shifty skater who gets up to top speed quickly with smooth edgework that gives him great elusiveness in open ice. He is a very driven player who isn’t afraid to have the puck on his stick and try dictating play, as opposed to hanging back and being a passenger. Creative and skilled puckhandler, and while he shows a tendency to over-handle at times, he can also pull off highlight-reel plays that lead directly to scoring chances. Succeeds at handling the puck and making plays inside movement, making him a threat in transition. Shows great vision, shoulder-checking before he picks up the puck, and shows creative footwork to open up passing lanes. He’s unafraid of getting to the dirty areas of the ice and finds open ice to present a passing option for his linemates. Keeps an outstanding tempo in the offensive end, with active positioning and cuts to the net. His shot lacks power currently, but he does have a quick release and good timing when driving to the net off the cycle. Inconsistent with his defensive reads and coverage, but shows good skill at reading passing lanes and creating turnovers with his stick. Loves applying quick, immediate pressure to the puck carrier, and he can work from behind with relentless stick lifts as well. Sits low in his stride, but doesn’t get full extension and relies more on crossovers to build speed, which limits his explosiveness a bit. Looks quite slender on the ice, not engaging physically when given the chance and getting pushed off the puck in board battles too easily. He’s not a very big of strong kid, which makes him easy to defend physically as soon as anyone gets close to him, something that won’t be fully remedied by more time in the gym. Canonica offers a well-rounded offensive game with upside to his skating and puck skill, which should intrigue a few teams in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide