How quickly things change. As recently as a few days ago, the hockey world widely assumed that the San Jose Sharks would be selecting Canadian forward Michael Misa with the second overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft. But since then, most of the chatter has surrounded the idea that they will make a more surprising move and draft Swedish center Anton Frondell instead. Various draft experts and insiders such as Elliotte Friedman have stated that the Sharks taking Frondell is a real possibility, and while sportsbooks are hardly the ultimate indicator of what will happen, Misa’s odds of landing at second have dropped dramatically. With the pick less than 72 hours away, let’s take a look at how and why we got here.
Sharks Creating Uncertainty Around Their Decision
Even though analysts have made it clear that the Sharks could draft Frondell, the San Jose front office won’t reveal their exact plans before the day itself. As such, much of the commentary around the selection includes some hedging.
Anton Frondell, Team Sweden (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
“Teams are starting to wonder if Frondell could be taken second overall by San Jose,” Friedman said. “He’s a very good player. I don’t think people would be shocked if that happened.”
“Everybody is waiting to see what San Jose is going to do,” FloHockey’s Chris Peters told San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng. “They’re not convinced that it’s absolutely Misa.”
The potential that the rumors are a smokescreen doesn’t make a lot of sense when considering that most sources seem to consider Misa to be the second-best player in the draft. Some sections of the league reportedly do prefer Frondell, but if the Sharks are bluffing to gauge what they could get in a trade for the pick, they’d have a much easier time hammering the idea that they like Misa to see what they could get for him, rather than focusing on Frondell or any other player.
If San Jose’s goal was to introduce ambiguity, a glance at their fanbase would suggest they’ve succeeded. Online comments from Sharks fans overwhelmingly favor Misa as the choice, with a genuine feeling of anger if Frondell were selected. Even some Chicago Blackhawks fans have gotten in on the action by pretending to be Sharks fans on social media and satirically encouraging the Sharks to take Frondell in hopes of their team ending up with Misa at the third pick.
As Sharks fans we all need to have an honest discussion.
If we were to Pick Micheal Misa, rather than Frondell…
We’re getting steamrolled in the playoffs. Too much soft skill… not enough physicality
Bring Anton home Greir.#thefutureisteal
— Sharks for Frondell (@HawksHawkey) June 24, 2025
Amid all of this, it’s worth noting that Misa remains the most likely option for the Sharks, and many of the talking heads discussing these moves have said as much. But that outcome has seemingly become less likely in a very short amount of time.
Misa and Frondell Give Sharks Different Options
Frondell and Misa might be picked near each other at the draft, but they’re very different players. Although they’re about the same height, Frondell is heavier, and these measurements reflect in their play styles. Due in part to his size, Frondell is a natural center. Misa is capable of playing both center and wing, though he’s probably slightly more comfortable with the former. Misa is fast, shifty and masterful in transition; Frondell is powerful and strong on the puck with a lethal shot. Both are good defenders, with Misa relying more on his off-puck IQ and Frondell utilizing physicality, although he’s also a very smart player. Misa had the better 2024-25 season in a vacuum, but he played in a junior league while Frondell played in a pro league and battled through injuries.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
The Sharks will most likely have both of those options available to them at the second pick. Barring a major trade, they can only take one of them, and whichever one they take will fill a very different role than the other.
Frondell Would Align With Some of Sharks’ Recent Moves
A look at some of Sharks general manager Mike Grier’s decisions during his tenure gives us a better sense of why Frondell might be particularly of interest to San Jose. Grier likes size, and his first draft pick ever was a big Swedish center in Filip Bystedt. Like Frondell, Bystedt wasn’t originally mocked to go to the Sharks, who traded down to get him in 2022. He showed a similar philosophy at this year’s trade deadline by dealing goal-scoring wing Fabian Zetterlund to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a package based around another big center, Zack Ostapchuk. He laid out his rationale for the trade at his post-deadline media availability.
“This was more about roster construction, where we see things fitting down the line,” Grier said. “It’s definitely some short-term pain for our group. But in the long run, you have to be strong down the middle.”
Of the two players in question, Misa has more pure skill, but Frondell is, well, stronger down the middle. Grier could feel like the Sharks already have too many of those players, but his general attitude towards what it takes to win in hockey points to Frondell-like centers. This isn’t to say at all that Misa is completely off the Sharks’ radar. Grier praised both Misa and Frondell during Tuesday’s media availability. It simply explains why Frondell might be higher on San Jose’s draft board than some other teams.
The Sharks will pick one of the draft’s top players for the third year in a row. This time around, what most of the league thought was a no-brainer is suddenly turning into something much closer to a toss-up. At the draft, almost no one truly knows anything for certain, and this latest round of speculation makes that as clear as ever.
