SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks first-round draft pick Michael Misa signed his three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday, taking what he hopes will be another step toward making the team’s 23-man roster for the start of the regular season next month.
“Super happy to be here,” said Misa, who won the Canadian Hockey League’s scoring title last season. “I’m happy it worked out and I’m excited to get started.”
Misa’s contract carries a $975,000 cap hit at the NHL level, the same cap hit that Macklin Celebrini’s contract, signed in July 2024 just days after he was taken first overall, has for the next two seasons.
Since he was taken second overall by the Sharks at the NHL Draft in June, the 18-year-old Misa, who played center for Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League last season, said his goal was to play in the NHL this upcoming year.
By signing the contract, Misa is now ineligible to play at the NCAA level. But he said that was never a consideration, and neither was waiting to sign until March 1, when, per the terms of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, entry-level contracts can become more lucrative.
Other top 10 selections from June’s draft who played in the CHL last season delayed their signings and will be in the NCAA this season, including Philadelphia Flyers top pick Porter Martone (Michigan State) and Anaheim’s top selection Roger McQueen (Providence).
“(The plan) was always going to be (signing) before main camp,” Misa said.
Misa, though, will still come out ahead financially if he remains in the NHL all season.
“Michael is a gifted player and a hard worker who we are excited to bring into our organization,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “We are looking forward to his continued development as part of our group.”
Misa had a staggering 134 points with Saginaw last year to earn Ontario Hockey League Player of the Year honors, as he had the most points for an under-18 player since 2000 and boasted the eighth-highest single-season point total in CHL history. His 62 goals were the most by an OHL player since the 2006-07 season (Patrick Kane), and was tied for third-most by a draft-eligible skater in OHL history.
Now it’s a matter of whether Misa can crack the Sharks roster, which was bolstered earlier this offseason by the additions of forwards Jeff Skinner, Adam Gaudette, Ryan Reaves, and Philipp Kurashev.
Including Collin Graf, the Sharks already have 13 forwards who are projected to be on the NHL roster this year. The blue line is also crowded, with 10 defensemen on one-way contracts, a group that does not include fellow roster hopeful Sam Dickinson.
“I think in terms of offense and playmaking, I think I’m there, and I feel like my skill and playmaking ability has always been there, and it’s (about being) reliable on the puck defensively, because our coach needs to be able to trust me in the defensive zone,” Misa said. “I think that’s going to be the biggest thing.”
If Misa doesn’t make the Sharks roster this fall, he will return to the OHL as he is too young to play with the AHL with the Barracuda. Under current rules, players born in North America must be at least 20 years old by Dec. 31 of any given year to be eligible to play in the AHL.
It’s also possible that Misa makes the Sharks’ 23-man roster to start the season but is returned to Saginaw before he plays 10 NHL games. If that happens, the first year of his entry-level contract would officially kick in. At the start of the 2021-22 season, William Eklund, drafted seventh overall by the Sharks in 2021, played nine NHL games before he was returned to Sweden.
Asked what Misa needs to do to win an NHL job, Barracuda coach John McCarthy said, “I would say just to do what he does. He’s put a good body of work together in the OHL. He’s started things off on the right foot, and just continue to do that.”
Through much of August, Misa trained with several NHL players just north of Toronto to “get a taste of that next level a bit, and their daily habits, what they do day in and day out. For me, it’s just trying to learn their games and incorporate them into mine. Get a little bit stronger on the puck battles. The strength at the next level is obviously a lot tougher, so just getting used to that, and I think day by day, I’ve been getting more comfortable.”
Misa impressed on the first day of the Sharks’ rookie camp on Wednesday, and this weekend the Sharks team will participate in the Golden State Rookie Faceoff, featuring games against prospects from the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.
Graf has gotten to know Misa a little better in recent weeks, with both players taking part in informal skates at Sharks Ice.
“He’s a great guy. He’s super skilled out there,” Graf said. “Definitely an electric guy to watch on the ice, and a good guy off the ice, too. Super cool that he signed, super excited to be playing with him.”
McCarthy, like many others, is impressed by Misa’s playmaking ability.
“He sees the ice well, knows where people are, can make plays through tight triangles, tight areas,” McCarthy said. “That’s a very transferable skill to the NHL.”
Originally Published: September 10, 2025 at 9:47 AM PDT