We’ve already discussed how the San Jose Sharks have options, albeit limited ones, with defenseman Sam Dickinson. There’s a prospect who gives the organization even more options for where he can play next season, but it does feel as if he’s destined to be in the NHL sooner rather than later.

The Sharks’ second overall pick this summer, Michael Misa, is one of the most interesting stories to watch heading into this upcoming season. He dominated last season as the captain of the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit. 

Much like Dickinson, it appears that Misa has accomplished as much as he can in the Canadian Hockey League’s system. He was the CHL’s leading scorer, he was named to the First All-Star Team and won multiple awards in the OHL as well. 

Even though Misa, like Dickinson, isn’t eligible for the American Hockey League, there is a key difference between the two players. While Dickinson has already signed his entry-level contract, disqualifying him from making the switch to the NCAA, Misa has yet to do so, as a result, he could make the jump. In fact, Misa’s brother, Luke Misa, has already done so.

The elder Misa is heading to Penn State University next fall to play alongside the projected first-overall pick in the 2026 Draft, Gavin McKenna. 

While Michael Misa has the option to follow in his footsteps, it may be difficult to do unless the Sharks make a decision on him sooner rather than later. Although many universities would love to add a player like Misa to their program, they’re also going to want to get their rosters situated as soon as possible rather than waiting until the last minute, which could limit the options of where he can go.

Sending Misa down the collegiate route would have another bonus as well. If he opted to do just a single season at the NCAA level, he could sign his entry-level contract at the conclusion of his team’s season and join the Sharks at the end of the 2025-26 season. This would allow him to skip the beginning of the season, when there are an abundance of players fighting for spots and instead he would join after the trade deadline when there’s more space for him on the NHL roster without sacrificing another player’s spot. 

If Misa decides not to go the collegiate route, he’d likely sign his first professional contract which would put him in a similar situation to Dickinson. At that point it would be the OHL or the NHL, with nothing in between. At that point, it would be logical for him to spend the first nine games of the season, at minimum, in the NHL before general manager Mike Grier is forced to make a decision.

The likely outcome would be that the Sharks take a similar approach to how they handled Will Smith’s rookie season. Let Misa struggle, give him a few games off and let him build his confidence at the NHL level. While it worked with Smith, there’s no guarantee that the approach would have the same outcome for Misa though, as each player develops differently. As a result, there’s a chance that strategy backfires and it damages the player’s confidence if they’re not able to perform up to their expectations. 

Sending Misa back to the OHL is the easiest solution on paper, but when a player is already at nearly a goal-per-game pace, there’s little that he can accomplish moving forward. Unless the goal would be for Misa to win a Memorial Cup, the move would only stall his development, as he needs to play against a higher caliber of opposition.

Dealing with a forward like Misa is a bit easier than a defenseman, there are 12 spots in the NHL and given the Sharks’ current roster, they can afford to use one of the spots to develop him. With Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith projected to take up spots on each of the top two lines, Misa could easily slot in on the third line next to two veteran players who could shelter him a bit.

The only downside would be that a veteran will likely need to be waived to make space, but a player like Misa will be a top priority for the Sharks, as he’s a future face of the franchise if everything works out as expected. 

Whatever decision Grier makes this season could have a massive effect on Misa’s long-term development and as a result, the long-term health of the Sharks organization. It’s imperative that he gets the decision right, but there’s no clear answer as to how he should approach it. Misa could succeed in the NHL next season, but he could struggle and have better odds in college. His performances at the Rookie Faceoff and in training camp will likely make a major impact in the decision. With that being said, maintaining NCAA eligibility may be difficult if the decision comes that late. 

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images