The San Jose Sharks approach Michael Misa’s rookie season much like how they handled Will Smith’s. He was out of the lineup regularly, especially early in the season, didn’t play a lot when he was in the lineup, and overall had a disappointing rookie season compared to the rest of his draft class simply due to a lack of opportunity.

Games Played – 45 – Misa spent quite a bit of the season as a healthy scratch or injured. He did represent Canada at the World Junior Championship as well, but overall, he didn’t play as often as expected for a second overall pick who immediately jumped to the NHL.

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Goals – 9 – Tied for the lead amongst Sharks rookies with Igor Chernyshov, who only played 28 games, and Pavol Regenda who played 24 games. Misa was tied for the 25th-most goals by a rookie in the NHL.

Assists – 12 – The second-most assists by a Sharks rookie, trailing just Sam Dickinson. Misa’s 12 assists tied him for the 34th-most assists by an overall rookie.

Points – 21 – The most amongst Sharks rookies, tied for 27th amongst rookies league-wide.

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Shots – 58 – The second-most shots by a Sharks rookie, the 15th most on the team in general.

Shooting Percentage – 15.5% – Misa scored at a very respectable rate, however his low shot total prevented him from scoring more goals during the season.

Time on Ice – 12:49 – The lowest average ice time amongst 2025 draft picks that played ten or more games during the 2025-26 season.

Plus/Minus – -2 – The tenth-best on the Sharks.

Giveaways – 28 – The second-lowest giveaways-per-sixty rate of 2025 draft picks that played in ten or more games.

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Takeaways – 8 – The second-lowest takeaways-per-sixty rate of any 2025 draft pick to record a takeaway during the 2025-26 season.

Hardest Shot – 86.28 MPH – Misa’s hardest shot of the season came against Winnipeg on April 16, it surpassed his previous hardest shot by nearly six miles per hour. He placed in t he 59th percentile as a result.

Max Skating Speed – 22.75 MPH – Misa recorded seven 22+ MPH bursts, nearly double the league average. His overall top speed placed in the 76th percentile.

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Total Miles Skated – 97.73 – Roughly 26 miles less than league average.

Overall, it was a respectable rookie season for Misa considering the circumstances. With that being said, there was a lot of criticism circulating regarding his usage early in the season, especially before he played his 10th game. While his usage this season could have long-term benefits, it’s hard to not believe that a second overall pick should’ve seen the ice more often.