Felicia Keller
From one top pick to another, Macklin Celebrini has been impressed with Michael Misa as of late.
Misa has now played 11 games with the San Jose Sharks since his November ankle injury and coming back from the World Juniors in early January, notching one goal and five points. He has two goals and eight points in 18 games this season.
To the eye, Misa looks faster.
Misa agreed: “Coming back from the injury, just had to get going again. I feel a lot better.”
Since his return, the 2025 No. 2 pick’s speed has also stood out to the 2024 No. 1 pick.
“A couple of us were blown away by his skating and his speed, when he gets going. And with his brain and how smart he is and his hands, he’s really dangerous when he gets speed,” Celebrini said.
Here’s an example of Misa’s emerging speed, the 18-year-old getting on top of Colorado Avalanche star Devon Toews (7) on Feb. 4:
In addition to settling into his speed, Misa said he’s also been playing with more confidence, particularly with the puck on his stick.
“We’ve asked him play with some more pace. That’s the one thing we’ve really zeroed in on is play with that pace, and we’ll coach you through the mistakes,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said recently. “I’d rather see you make mistakes at full speed, at full pace, then maybe just a step behind, or just dipping your toe in. He’s done a good job.”
Misa has played some of his best NHL games since his return from the World Juniors, though he continues to work on his defensive details and puck protection, among other things.
Regardless, this overall progress is why Sharks GM Mike Grier elected to keep Misa in the NHL for the full season, burning the first year of his entry-level contract.
Grier said the decision was made with Misa’s long-term development in mind. Rather than sending him to dominate in the OHL yet again, Grier wanted him to spend time learning NHL habits.
“We thought being up here with the guys – even if he wasn’t playing every day – getting in the gym, starting down the path of what it takes to be a pro and in the pro game, being out there and playing against the best players in the world,” Grier said last month. “We thought for his development, that was best for him.”
Before that decision was officially made, Misa represented Canada at the World Juniors tournament. Team Canada lost in the semi-final to Czechia, settling for a bronze medal and falling short of the country’s massive expectations.
That’s something Celebrini is familiar with. His 2024 World Juniors trip ended in the quarterfinals, also to Czechia, another disappointing finish by Canada’s standards.
“I went there and lost in the quarterfinals, so people weren’t too happy with me. He did a little bit better than I did, but I know what he went through and what he dealt with,” Celebrini said.
Celebrini has seemingly become an expert at shouldering the expectations of fans, even at his young age. And he has passed on some of that wisdom to Misa.
“Everyone knows what’s at stake once you go to those tournaments, that you’re supposed to perform and whatnot,” Misa said. “He told me, ‘You represent your country, it’s obviously a big deal, and try and help them win. But don’t get too down on yourself if something doesn’t go your way or whatnot, because once you get to elimination – quarter, semis – it’s one game and stuff can go the wrong way, sometimes.”‘
And when it comes to his time with the San Jose Sharks, Misa said Macklin Celebrini has been supportive of him and his fellow young players through some of the trickier moments. Celebrini is a model for “flushing” a bad moment and moving on.
“All the young guys have each other’s backs, and mix in with the older guys,” Misa said. “I’ve been a little hard on myself after some games, and it’s that competitor inside of us. We all want to win, but once it’s over, there’s nothing you can do. So you’ve got to trick your brain into forgetting about it.”