There was a lot of smoke around the Sharks' pick at 2nd overall today, much more than anticipated heading into the draft. They were connected to Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, and even potentially trading out of the number 2 pick for an established NHL star.
At the end of the day, the Sharks stayed with the consensus and took the offensive superstar out of Saginaw, Michael Misa. Misa dominated in the OHL, scoring 62 goals and 134 points for the Spirit. The highest scoring season for a draft-eligible player since Patrick Kane.
Grier said at the draft that they were excited about his “speed and competitiveness” and felt it would fit well into their young group with stars Celibrini, Eklund, and Will Smith. I can't help but agree; there was a lot of talk that the Sharks needed to get bigger and add more size to the top 6, but there are many avenues to improve a team in the NHL. You don’t pass up a player with the upside of Misa; he was a tier above the next group of guys, such as Frondell and Martone.
The Sharks are now armed with an impressive group of young centers in Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Michael Misa. Someone will have to move to the wing at some point, but you win with depth down the middle. At their best in the last era of Sharks hockey, they had Thornton, Couture, Pavelski, Hertl, and Marleau, who could all play down the middle if needed. Sharks fans should be salivating at how the team is positioned for the future.
The Sharks are not done in the first round tonight; they still hold the 30th overall selection acquired from the Dallas Stars in the Mikael Granlund trade. Make sure to stay tuned as I keep you updated on all the Sharks news throughout the entire draft weekend.