Editor's note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
BUFFALO — Michael Misa wants to join the San Jose Sharks.
"My roommate, Michael Misa, is hoping to go there," fellow 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Malcolm Spence, also Misa’s best friend, said Saturday at the Scouting Combine.
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SIGN UP HERE “Their young core coming up is promising and exciting,” Misa told San Jose Hockey Now in an exclusive interview earlier this week. “If they were to draft me, I hope I could just help them, make an impact to their organization.”
Do the Sharks feel the same?
The sense around the combine this week was that while San Jose would prefer defenseman Matthew Schaefer, just because of organizational need on the blueline, that Misa will be the franchise’s pick at No. 2, assuming Schaefer goes No. 1 to the New York Islanders as expected. A trade-up can’t be ruled out, but the cost of that might be too great for Sharks general manager Mike Grier.
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While centerman Misa might, to some degree, duplicate centers Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, he’s considered by many to be the top forward in this draft, so it will be the proverbial good problem for the Sharks to have. Likely, Misa or Smith will have to slide over the wing so all three can skate in the top six. Again, that’s a good problem to have.
Misa to the Sharks is just a sense, the prevailing wind — keep in mind, the top of the draft this year isn’t 2023 Connor Bedard and 2024 Macklin Celebrini certain.
There was a whisper that San Jose likes center Anton Frondell, but just a whisper. The 6-foot-1 center likens himself to Aleksander Barkov, which does sound like a Grier-type player.
Who’s Coming to Dinner?
It’s a mystery.
Sharks director of amateur scouting Chris Morehouse said San Jose took four prospects out to dinner.
San Jose Hockey Now was able to confirm that they broke bread with Schaefer and Misa.
But there’s intrigue after Schaefer and Misa. SJHN was able to confirm that the Sharks did not take out Justin Carbonneau, Braeden Cootes, Caleb Desnoyers, Victor Eklund, Anton Frondell, James Hagens, Benjamin Kindel, Ryker Lee, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, Roger McQueen, Jake O’Brien, Malcolm Spence, Kashawn Aitcheson, Sascha Boumedienne, Blake Fiddler, Logan Hensler, Radim Mrtka, Cameron Reid, Jackson Smith and Jack Ivankovic.
That’s basically the rest of the projected top 10 of the 2025 draft, and a lot more.
So who’s left for the Sharks to feed?
It possible that Morehouse was being coy, because the other two dinner dates could be legitimate draft targets at Nos. 30 or 33 for the Sharks. Or, someone is lying.
But that’s all part of the draft combine intrigue!
Who Did Sharks Interview?
Morehouse also shared that the Sharks interviewed under 70 prospects at the combine.
Besides Schaefer and Misa at dinner, SJHN was able to confirm about 40 of those interviews with various sources.
San Jose, unlike some other teams, does appear to like to interview players at the combine, so take these names with a grain of salt.
The Sharks interviewed forwards Nathan Behm, Justin Carbonneau, Vojtech Cihar, Braeden Cootes, Caleb Desnoyers, Victor Eklund, Kristian Epperson, Anton Frondell, James Hagens, Benjamin Kindell, Ryker Lee, Brady Martin, Owen Martin, Porter Martone, Cole McKinney, Roger McQueen, William Moore, Jack Murtagh, Jack Nesbitt, Vaclav Nestrasil, Jake O’Brien, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Malcolm Spence, Shane Vansaghi and Bill Zonnon, among others.
Winger Epperson played with Misa and top Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov on the Saginaw Spirit, so there’s a chance that the prolific line could be reunited in teal.
So how did Epperson’s interview with the Sharks go?
“It went really good. It's probably one of my best,” he said.
The Sharks interviewed defensemen Kashawn Aitcheson, Sean Barnhill, Sascha Boumedienne, Henry Brzustewicz, Blake Fiddler, Logan Hensler, Radim Mrtka, Maceo Phillips, Cameron Reid, Jacob Rombach, Jackson Smith and Simon Wang, among others.
Reid has trained with Joe Thornton in their native St. Thomas, Ontario, over the last couple summers.
What’s the biggest lesson that the Kitchener Rangers defenseman has learned from the Sharks legend?
“Hockey can be serious, [but] you don't want to take it too seriously upon yourself,” Reid said. “You have to have fun with it. If you have fun with it, you're probably gonna be playing or doing everything at your best.”
The Sharks also interviewed goaltenders Jack Ivankovic and Joshua Ravensbergen.