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Michael Misa

Snapshots: Evans, Misa, Horvat

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While the Canadiens have not provided an injury update on Jake Evans after he was injured on Saturday against Pittsburgh in a knee-on-knee collision, it appears they’ve avoided the worst-case scenario, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.  However, he could still be facing somewhat of an extended absence.  In the first season of a four-year, $11.4MM contract signed near the trade deadline last season, the veteran has seen his production taper off as he has five goals and five assists through 34 games.  He had been playing a big role defensively although the addition of Phillip Danault last week was in part intended to give him some help on that front.  Instead, it’ll be a while before Montreal gets to have both of them on the ice but it appears that Evans’ injury could have been much worse than it was.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • While forward Michael Misa left Canada’s World Junior pre-tournament game on Tuesday due to injury, it shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup when things get underway on Friday, relays TSN’s Mark Masters. Misa was a late arrival after being loaned out by the Sharks and has only played in seven games this season where he has three points.  San Jose still has to decide if they’re going to bring the 18-year-old back after the tournament or loan him back to junior and not officially begin the first year of his entry-level contract.  If there are any lingering injury concerns by the time this tournament ends, that would certainly play a big role in their decision.
  • Islanders center Bo Horvat is tracking toward returning on Saturday from his lower-body injury, according to Stefan Rosner in his latest post for The Elmonters. He has missed the last two weeks with the issue and initially was expected to miss three weeks so if he is back this weekend, he’ll be a bit ahead of schedule.  The 30-year-old leads the Isles in goals (19) and points (31) in 32 games and his performance is believed to have him in consideration for one of the final spots on Canada’s Olympic roster.  Showing that he’s fully recovered from the injury could help his cause before rosters are due to be submitted on Wednesday.

Sharks Activate Michael Misa, Loan Him To World Juniors

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The reigning No. 2 overall pick is officially on his way to the 2026 World Juniors. The Sharks announced they’ve activated center Michael Misa from injured reserve and subsequently loaned him to Team Canada for the event, which begins next week.

With only Misa’s name included in today’s announcement, it seems set in stone that defenseman Sam Dickinson is staying on San Jose’s roster and won’t be loaned out to Canada for the tournament. Dickinson, 19, had two assists in five games for the Canadians last year at the event and had another year of eligibility left, but he’ll be sticking around on San Jose’s roster for the next several weeks despite sitting as a healthy scratch in last night’s win over the Flames.

Misa’s limited playing time this season made him a logical candidate to be allowed to go to the event, much like the case of Calgary star defense prospect Zayne Parekh. The 18-year-old broke camp with the Sharks but was in and out of the lineup, never playing more than three games in a row, until he sustained a lower-body injury in early November.

Before exiting the lineup, Misa made his first seven NHL appearances, scoring one goal and three points with a -1 rating. It’s worth noting he isn’t joining Canada’s training camp cold. The Sharks loaned him to their AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint at the beginning of the month as he neared a return, recording an assist in two games for the San Jose Barracuda before rejoining the Sharks for practice.

Now fully cleared, Misa will get his first and only chance to represent Canada’s national team at the under-20 level. He was a rather shocking snub from last year’s roster amid a 62-goal, 134-point season for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit that made him the leading scorer across all of the country’s top junior leagues.

The question now becomes whether Misa returns to Saginaw or remains with the Sharks when the WJC wraps up in January. As an under-20 player subject to the NHL-CHL transfer agreement, he’s ineligible for a full-time assignment to the AHL and must be loaned back to his junior team if he’s not on the NHL roster (or injured reserve).

Afternoon Notes: Misa, DiVincentiis, Team Canada

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San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky elaborated on why top prospect Michael Misa missed the start of Team Canada’s World Junior Championship training camp. Misa is not too injured to miss any World Juniors time, but was still considered recovering day-to-day, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. That was enough for San Jose to keep Misa with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda for a couple more days, and a couple more practices.

Misa taking in a tad more pro coaching before headed to camp will be no bad news for Team Canada. They will be bringing in a potential tournament MVP in Misa, who scored an incredible 62 goals and 134 points in 65 OHL games last season. That earned Misa the second-overall selection in the 2025 draft, behind New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who will not head to World Juniors camp. Misa will form a formidable top-line with Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone and look to bring Canada their first World Junior Gold since 2018.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned depth goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis in the wake of Connor Hellebuyck’s return. DiVincentiis served as backup for a few days after Thomas Milic – who earned three starts in Hellebuyck’s absence – was reassigned earlier in the month. DiVincentiis did not make his NHL debut. He has six wins and a .915 save percentage in 13 AHL games this season, and will battle with Milic for the Manitoba Moose’s starting role.
  • Hockey Canada will announce their men’s Olympic roster on New Year’s Eve per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Team Canada has already locked six players into the lineup – Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart. They also hosted an orientation camp that invited 42 players to prep for Olympic selection. The camp roster only featured three goalies – Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault. All three goalies have struggled in the season since, which could make for some interesting decisions come the last day of the year. With Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar getting ready for their first Winter Olympics, Canada will be the early favorite for 2026 Gold.

Pacific Notes: Sharks, Hart, Karlsson

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The Sharks have not yet decided if they will loan forward Michael Misa or defenseman Sam Dickinson to play for Canada at the upcoming World Juniors, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News.  Misa is set to debut with the AHL’s Barracuda tonight while on a conditioning assignment, one that can last up to two weeks.  The second overall pick back in June has been used quite sparingly this season, getting into just seven NHL games where he has a goal and two assists.  Accordingly, he hasn’t officially activated the first year of his entry-level deal.  If Misa plays out his AHL stint and then joins Canada’s roster, that would allow San Jose to wait until January before making a final call on keeping him in the NHL or sending him back to junior.

As for Dickinson, the 19-year-old has played much more frequently, getting into 21 games with the Sharks so far.  However, he has been limited to just one goal and one assist after putting up 91 points in just 55 games with OHL London last season.  Dickinson is averaging a respectable 14:27 per game of ice time but would have a much more prominent role at the World Juniors.  With San Jose carrying eight healthy blueliners, they wouldn’t necessarily need to bring anyone up from the Barracuda to take his place on the roster if they were to loan Dickinson out.

More from the Pacific:

  • Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He sustained the injury in his season debut on Tuesday against Chicago, one that saw him make 27 saves in a shootout victory over Chicago.  Vegas recalled Jesper Vikman from AHL Henderson earlier today and they are using an emergency roster exception that lasts up to 48 hours to allow them to temporarily exceed the 23-player roster limit.
  • Still with the Golden Knights, they’ve placed center William Karlsson on LTIR, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). The move was needed to afford Vikman’s recall.  Karlsson last played on November 8th, meaning that he has already missed the required 10 games and 24 days, assuming the placement was back-dated.  The 32-year-old has four goals and three assists in 14 games this season and remains listed as out week-to-week.

San Jose Sharks Assign Michael Misa On Conditioning Loan

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The San Jose Sharks are close to returning this past summer’s second-overall pick to the active roster. The Sharks announced they’ve placed Michael Misa on the team’s long-term injured reserve, and have assigned him to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda on a conditioning stint.

It’s not a foregone conclusion that Misa will return to the Sharks’ lineup by the end of the conditioning loan, though it is a workaround to the current rules regarding CHL-drafted 18-year-olds playing in the AHL. If the Sharks were to activate Misa and reassign him, he would have to play for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit instead of the Barracuda.

After scoring 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games for the Spirit last season, there’s little development available for Misa in the OHL. Still, considering how sheltered he was during his first few games in the NHL, and the subsequent lower-body injury that’s kept him sidelined since early November, sticking the rest of the year out in the NHL may not be the best avenue for his development, either.

Regardless, aside from Macklin Celebrini, it’s par for the course in how San Jose has treated their top prospects at the NHL level. Last season, in the first month of the season, Will Smith had registered only two goals through his first nine games, averaging 13:32 of ice time per night. That’s eerily similar to Misa, who’s scored one goal and three points in seven games, managing an ATOI of 11:44.

Smith’s usage had dramatically changed by the end of the season, as the former fourth-overall pick scored five goals and eight points in nine games, averaging 20:44 of action. There’s no guarantee that they’ll do the same with Misa, though it’s confirmation that the Sharks have been slowplaying their upper-level prospects throughout the course of a season.

Despite the open debate on whether Misa is better suited in the OHL or sheltered NHL minutes, it’s objectively better that he’s healthy and back to playing in some capacity. Given that he placed him on LTIR beforehand, the Sharks will now have six days or three games, whichever is longer, to make a longer-term decision on Misa’s immediate future. Additionally, they can request an extension on the conditioning stint that would allow them nine days or five games.

Morning Notes: Texier, Misa, Skinner, McCabe

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While St. Louis Blues forward Alexandre Texier is not yet a free agent as he awaits word on whether he’s cleared unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination, that hasn’t stopped reporters from getting info on which teams are most likely to land the 26-year-old’s services once he becomes a free agent as is expected. On yesterday’s Saturday Headlines segment on Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman reported that “the favorite” to land Texier at this point is the Montreal Canadiens.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun did report yesterday that Texier’s representatives are deciding between two Eastern Conference teams, and with Friedman naming the Canadiens as a favorite, it appears one of those two teams has been revealed. The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch reported yesterday that the Ottawa Senators expressed interest in acquiring Texier, but it’s unclear at this time whether they’re one of the two finalists. Texier’s tenure as a St. Louis Blue was unequivocally a disappointment, as he played just 39 games across two seasons and scored just 12 points. While he might not seem like the kind of player who would merit this kind of league wide attention as a free agent, it’s worth noting that Texier did score 30 points in 78 games in 2023-24. But perhaps more importantly, it’s very difficult at this early stage of the season for teams to add external talent that is NHL-caliber. The fact that Texier is available for just a small cap hit investment (and doesn’t carry the additional asset cost associated with a trade) is likely contributing to the high level of interest in his services. As NHL teams grapple with injuries testing their depth, the chance to add an NHL-ready bottom-six forward for a small amount of cap space is an opportunity most teams likely want to take advantage of.

Other notes from across the NHL:

  • San Jose Sharks forwards Michael Misa and Jeff Skinner are inching closer to a return to the ice, Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group reported yesterday. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky told the media yesterday that both Misa and Skinner have resumed skating, and while Skinner is currently ahead of Misa in his recovery, Warsofsky is hopeful both will be back participating in practice by the end of next week. Misa, 18, was the No. 2 overall pick at this most recent NHL Entry Draft, and has three points through seven games this season. Getting healthy and back on the ice is arguably more important for Skinner, who is a pending UFA playing out a one-year, $3MM deal. Skinner, who scored 29 points in 72 games in 2024-25, has seven points in 17 games so far this year.
  • It was a difficult night for the Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday as they lost 5-2 to their arch rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, and now sit second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, one point above the Buffalo Sabres, who have a game in hand. Making last night’s game worse was the fact that veteran defenseman Jake McCabe left the game due to an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. While we await an update revealing the extent of McCabe’s injury, it’s clear any extended absence for McCabe would be a major loss for Toronto. The team is already dealing with an injury to veteran Chris Tanev, and losing McCabe for any duration of time would mean the Maple Leafs would lose one of their most relied-upon defensemen. McCabe ranks second on the team among defensemen in time-on-ice per game, and leads Toronto defensemen in shorthanded time-on-ice per game.

Sharks’ Jeff Skinner Out Week-To-Week

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The San Jose Sharks will continue on without one of their veteran wingers. Jeff Skinner is set to miss about two weeks with aa lower-body injury, head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Skinner was placed on injured reserve on November 15th, and won’t be eligible to return until November 22nd at the soonest.

Skinner sustained his injury in San Jose’s November 13th loss to the Calgary Flames, after getting tangled up with Flames winger Rory Kerins and tumbling into the boards. He appeared to be in immediate pain and needed help off the ice. Luckily, he avoided the worst of injury, with Warsofsky quiping that San Jose got lucky with Skinner’s timeline.

Skinner has had an up-and-down start to his tenure in San Jose. He started the season with a four-game scoring streak, but followed it with a four-game scoring drought that ended with a healthy scratch on October 26th. Skinner returned from the press box to three points in five games, but was riding a three-game scoring drought prior to his injury. On the year, he has recorded four points, a minus-four, and 29 shots on goal in 16 games.

That’s a far fall for a winger who is only four seasons removed from back-to-back 30-goal seasons, and a career-high 82 points in the Buffalo Sabres’ 2022-23 campaign. His scoring tumbled to 46 points in the following year, then to only 29 points with the Edmonton Oilers last season.

Skinner will need to find a way to spur that scoring when he returns in December. Meanwhile, Warsofsky also shared that 2025 second-overall pick Michael Misa – also week-to-week with a lower-body injury – will take a bit longer to recover per Max Miller of San Jose Hockey Digest. Misa sustained his injury during practice and hadn’t carved out a role in the Sharks’ lineup prior. He has three points through his first seven NHL games. A longer-than-two-weeks designation will put Misa on track to return just before the holiday season – or, just before the 2026 World Junior Championships, which the star prospect wasn’t selected for last season. He would be a true X-factor for Team Canada if San Jose used the tournament to spur Misa’s return from injury.

Sharks’ Michael Misa Out Week-To-Week

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The San Jose Sharks will be without the ace up their sleeves for the next few games. Rookie winger Michael Misa is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury sustained during practice, head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (subscription required). Warsofsky emphasized that the medical staff was confident Misa’s recovery will only take a few weeks. He also said that the Sharks will continue to use video coaching and light skates to focus on Misa’s development.

Misa, the 2025 second-overall pick, has been rotated in-and-out of the lineup through the start of his NHL career. He has one goal and three points in seven games. More importantly, he’s posted five blocked shots and a 52.6 faceoff percentage. Those are positive signs of Misa’s adjustment to the NHL, especially on a Sharks team that’s allowed the sixth-most goals this season.

Misa is a true star prospect, coming off a near goal-per-game season in the OHL last year. He finished the season with 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games, the second-most from a draft-year OHL player since 2000, behind Patrick Kane’s 145 points in 2006-07. San Jose’s lineup won’t be much affected by Misa’s absence, given his rotating role and Ryan Reaves’ return from injury, but making sure their latest top-pick stays on the track will remain top priority.

Working through a frustrating injury and returning to a strong role in the lineup could be enough to earn Misa a crack at minutes in the top-six, or on the powerplay. He has been held out of both groups so far, but created a dynamic fourth-line alongside fellow rookie Collin Graf and veteran Adam Gaudette. The trio spent 20 minutes of even-strength ice-time together across three games in mid-October and outscored their opponents three-to-zero. Misa recorded a point on all three goals, stretched across a brief three-game point streak. It has become clear that the Sharks want to make Misa earn his path to top minutes, but his success in a depth role is an encouraging sign of things to come. He’ll jump right back into that climb up the lineup on the other side of the first injury of his career.

Sharks Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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4:41 p.m.: It’s an IR placement for Misa as the corresponding move, per Peng. He sustained the injury in the morning skate prior to yesterday’s game, so the placement can only be backdated to Nov. 5. That puts him out for San Jose’s next three games. He’ll be eligible for activation on Nov. 13.

3:13 p.m.: The Sharks have recalled center Zack Ostapchuk from AHL San Jose, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. With no open roster spot, they need to make a corresponding move. That will presumably be an IR placement for either William Eklund or Michael Misa, both of whom are ticketed to miss tomorrow’s game against the Jets with lower-body injuries.

Both Eklund and Misa missed yesterday’s 6-1 drubbing of the Kraken as well, which means San Jose was forced to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Ostapchuk gives them a 12th forward to slot in against Winnipeg if they want to go back to the traditional allocation. Acquired from the Senators in last year’s Fabian Zetterlund deal, the 22-year-old pivot isn’t off to a great start in the minors. Through nine AHL games, he has two goals and an assist with a -4 rating.

Ostapchuk, a second-round pick back in 2021, hasn’t had sustained offensive success anywhere since turning pro in 2023. He was well over a point per game in his final year in juniors, but aside from 11 points in 15 games for AHL Belleville last year before the trade, he has yet to pop. He spent most of last season up in the NHL with Ottawa and San Jose, but only recorded one goal and four points in 56 appearances while averaging 9:25 per game.

His long-term ceiling likely remains that of a fourth-line center. He showed he can at least handle the role last year and posted solid possession metrics in 13 games with the Sharks down the stretch – evidenced by a -1 rating despite not recording a point. He won 48.6% of his faceoffs, a good number for a pivot in his age-21 season with plenty of room to grow.

Ostapchuk will remain waiver-exempt this season but loses that status for 2026-27. He’ll get another chance here to stick around in a fourth-line role for the Sharks as he aims to push Misa or fellow AHL call-up Ethan Cardwell out of a job when San Jose gets back to carrying a healthy forward group.

Sharks Shake Up Lineup With Wlliam Eklund Out, Timothy Liljegren Back

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The San Jose Sharks will once again shake up their lineup in the hours ahead of gametime. Top winger William Eklund is out with a lower-body injury, while Timothy Liljegren wil lreturn from a short-term absence, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks will operate with 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Sunday, with Ethan Cardwell stepping into the bottom-six for rookie Michael Misa.

Few players would be harder to lose than Eklund. He ranks second on the Sharks with five goals and 11 points through 12 games, only behind Macklin Celebrini (seven goals, 18 points). Eklund has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time through the early season, and played as much as 25:29 in a recent overtime win versus the Minnesota Wild. He’s returned as a core piece of the Sharks offense this season, after posting a career-year with 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games last season. His role in the lineup, and performance on the scoresheet, both continue to grow.

That will leave San Jose with an important decision as they reshape the lineup. Collin Graf should be the biggest beneficiary, moving into a top-six that also features Tyler Toffoli and Philipp Kurashev in heavy-use roles. Graf has only scored three points in 11 games this season, but his lack of offense could be offset by Kurashev, who has a dazzling seven points in his last four games.

Still, the need to replace Eklund’s offense makes the decision to scratch Msia all the more confusing. The reigning second-overall pick had a three-game point-streak between October 21st and October 26th, though hasn’t managed any scoring in his last two games. He has, however, offered up a 52.6 percent faceoff win-rate, third-highest among Sharks centers. Misa has experience at center, and on the wing, and could have been an interesting bet for top-six minutes in light of Eklund’s injury. Instead, San Jose will turn towards depth forward and grinder Cardwell, who has four points and 10 penalty minutes in seven AHL games. Cardwell was recalled on Sunday morning in a corresponding move to Ryan Reaves’ placement on injured reserve.

The Sharks will find a silver lining in the return of Liljegren, who has served in a top-pair role for much of the season. Liljegren has only scored three points in nine games, but he and D-partner Dmitry Orlov have posted the best goal-differential of any Sharks pairing at even-strength. Getting him back into the fold after just one game out will be a major relief. Liljegren exited Saturday’s game in the first period, after a puck was deflected into the bunch and hit him in the face.

San Jose will return Liljegren to the lineup alongside rookie Sam Dickinson, who will play in his 10th game of the season. Dickinson hasn’t yet found his first NHL point through nine games. He should be rotated into favorable situations, while Liljegren steps back into an important role next to Orlov.

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