San Jose Sharks star rookie Michael Misa is another young gun in an enviable stable of rising stars on the club. The second-overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft looks poised to make a name for himself this season.
But doing so isn’t some sort of magic trick. It’s the result of years of preparation and the influence his teammates have provided in this season’s training camp. In particular, Misa highlighted how last season’s first-overall pick, Macklin Celebrini, has impressed him thus far.
Misa stated:
"Just overall, how dominant he is. It's fun to watch when he gets the puck, something's probably going to happen every time he has it. And he has it. I think offensively it's his playmaking, and the way he's able to see the ice is pretty incredible."
The comments, as reported in an interview with RG Media published on October 1, underscore just how much Misa admires Celebrini despite practically being the same age.
Misa also talked about the encouragement he’s gotten from some of the team’s key veterans like Jeff Skinner, Tyler Toffoli, and John Klingberg:
“They’ve been telling me to keep with it. Every day comes to the rink, want to get better, just stack days. I think the biggest thing is because it's a long season, your body's going to get a little sore at times and stuff. They just kind of said to keep going with it."
That sort of support and encouragement from the Sharks’ seasoned vets is a huge vote of confidence for one of the club’s youngest members.
Misa focusing on his two-way play to help Sharks this season
Misa pointed out how he’s modeled his game after Toronto Maple Leafs’ center John Tavares and former Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron. Tavares has been a steady scoring threat and reliable two-way forward throughout his career.
As for Bergeron, the six-time Selke Trophy winner is the epitome of defensive forwards. That’s the standard that Misa hopes to emulate.
Misa declared:
“Something I want to improve upon is my 200-foot game. My offensive abilities have always been there. I'm able to make plays, find ways to try and score. But just being defensively reliable, everyone's so much stronger, so trying to get guys up and help the play defensively. My best trait is probably my playmaking with my vision, able to see the ice."
Misa drilled on how conditioning is something he’s keen on improving. He’s aware that his overall skillset could become that much better with the right preparation and fitness.
As it stands, it looks like the Sharks could get another rookie dazzling fans right from the start. He may not be the most high-profile first-year player this season, but Michael Misa could be the one with the most impact.