What might the San Jose Sharks do with the No. 2 NHL Draft pick?

New York Times

20-05-2025

Winning the NHL Draft lottery for a second straight year would have been a lot for the San Jose Sharks. Until fortune struck for them last summer, they had never won the lottery since the league introduced it in 1995.
Mind you, the Sharks weren't in that position for much of the last three decades. Consistent success and numerous playoff berths don't result in getting a seat at the lottery table, much less a prime one. Besides, the Sharks might have drawn some comparisons to the Edmonton Oilers, who landed the No. 1 pick in three consecutive years and four times in a six-year span. That's both good, given how the Oilers accumulated first-rate talent, or bad, in that they have yet to turn that fortune into a Stanley Cup championship.
Advertisement
The Sharks getting the No. 1 pick again, after landing Macklin Celebrini last year, would have been a bonus. That won't happen, since the New York Islanders jumped up from the No. 10 position to win the lottery, but drafting at No. 2 won't be a bad thing for San Jose.
The Sharks are less likely to add potential franchise defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who's expected to go off the board first, but they're not feeling particularly disappointed about getting to choose next.
'We're going to get a good player,' Sharks general manager Mike Grier said following the lottery. 'Whenever you're picking at the top of the draft, there's going to be some really good players available. We're excited about the opportunity.'
If it's destined for Schaefer to call Long Island home, does that mean Grier will call out the name of Michael Misa on June 27? Should the Sharks start printing No. 77 jerseys with the Saginaw Spirit star's name on the back? Or might they go in another direction to further boost a well-stocked prospect pool that was The Athletic's choice for No. 1 in the league?
In 2022, Misa became the eighth player granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada to play in Canadian major junior hockey as a 15-year-old. Current NHL players John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Joe Veleno, Shane Wright and Connor Bedard were also granted such status. Now 18, Misa has lived up to that with a stellar junior career.
Last year, Misa won the Memorial Cup with Saginaw as the team's second-leading scorer behind Zayne Parekh. Individual honors came Misa's way in his massive draft season as he led the Ontario Hockey League with 134 points. His 62 goals (up from 29 in 2023-24) tied him with Patrick Kane for the most by an OHL player in a draft-eligible year. He earned league Most Outstanding Player honors.
Advertisement
The Sharks have plenty of forward talent in their system. But when you're picking that high, you take the best player available. All draft projections have Misa as that player, after Schaefer. And it's easy to imagine the product of Oakville, Ontario, who has drawn many comparisons to fellow Greater Toronto Area native Tavares, in the San Jose lineup.
Because of his ability to play wing and center, Misa could slot behind Celebrini as the Sharks' future 2C or shift to the wing if they're determined to have Will Smith play in the middle. Smith's growth throughout his rookie season and his chemistry with Celebrini could make it tempting for Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky to leave things as is and play Misa at the position he favors. Misa returned to center in 2024-25 after playing on the wing the year before.
'Just felt more confident down there,' Misa said on an ESPN interview. 'Played there growing up in minor hockey. That transition definitely helped me. But being able to play both positions also helps. It was good overall.'
The Sharks have had plenty of viewings of Misa. They like that he isn't solely focused on the offensive side of the ice. And it didn't hurt that Igor Chernyshov, their third selection in the 2024 draft (and the No. 33 overall pick), instantly clicked with Misa once he joined the Spirit after recovering from shoulder surgery.
'He plays a good 200-foot game,' Grier said of Misa. 'He's got a heavy stick. Sees the ice well, can make plays. I think he played in all situations and he kind of has a knack for scoring goals. Really, really solid year this year. I think we've seen him a bunch even going back to last year scouting Parekh.
'Good player. Like I said, when you're at the top of the draft, there's lots of good players available. He's one of them.'
It feels like this draft is set up for San Jose to welcome Misa to the Bay Area. But what if the Islanders don't take Schaefer at No. 1? If there is one area where the Sharks aren't overflowing with high-end prospect talent, it's on defense. There are some promising players – Luca Cagnoni, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Mattias Havelid and Eric Pohlkamp, to name a few – so it's not as if the blue-line pipeline is empty. Shakir Mukhamadullin is set to play his first full NHL season.
Advertisement
Let's not forget that atop that group sits Sam Dickinson, the No. 11 choice last year, who had 29 goals and 91 points in the regular season to trail only Parekh (the No. 9 pick in 2024 for Calgary) among OHL defensemen, and who amassed another 31 points in 17 playoff games for the champion London Knights. But if Schaefer were to stay on the board, there's no way the Sharks could pass on someone projected to become an impact No. 1 defenseman.
Such a scenario won't play out – unless the Islanders have a reason to choose someone else. James Hagens might be that someone else. Hagens, 18, grew up as a diehard Islanders fan in Hauppauge, N.Y. At one point, he was projected as the No. 1 pick, and while his stock has slid somewhat, he had a productive freshman season at Boston College. Despite the Eagles being led by returning standouts Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault, Hagens had 37 points to rank third on the team.
Hagens would make for the ideal hometown-kid storyline. That's not to say the Islanders will do that, or that it's even a smart choice given that Schaefer is the one seen as the clear-cut No. 1 pick. Still, they could pull a surprise and take Hagens. Or they could see what teams that are highly interested in Schaefer might offer in a trade — in addition to their own high selection.
Would the Sharks consider a package that enticed the Islanders to move off the No. 1 pick in order to secure Schaefer?
'I haven't really given that much thought, to be honest with you, and I don't know what the Islanders are thinking, what they're going to do with the pick themselves,' Grier said. 'We'll take some time to let this kind of marinate a little bit and go through our options, and we'll kind of see where that goes.'
Grier simply could be keeping every option open. That also could include moving down from No. 2 if it meant getting an additional player who could help the Sharks improve now.
'If there's a package out there that someone presents us with, we'll have to think it through and see if it makes sense for us to do,' Grier said. 'I'm always trying to be open-minded to things like that.'
Advertisement
Smoke screens are often sent out by teams ahead of the draft. As much as the idea of a team trading a top-five pick brings intrigue and excitement, teams simply do not move them in the salary-cap era. Anaheim Ducks rookie Cutter Gauthier, the No. 5 overall selection in 2022, was traded, but only after the Philadelphia Flyers drafted him and he requested a move 18 months later.
Any team, whether it's the Islanders or anyone else with No. 1 overall, is going to ask for a huge price to even consider a trade. And it's generally not worth it for a team to surrender multiple quality assets simply to move up a few spots, when it could get a similar-level player with its own high pick. The Sharks have an overflowing prospect pool, but is acquiring Schaefer worth losing a quality player or multiple draft picks?
Drafting at No. 2 is an enviable position. The Sharks could have a lot to think about – or nothing to ponder at all.
(Photo of Michael Misa: Kevin Sousa / Getty Images)