Michael Misa soaks in knowledge from Sharks icons, is steadfast in his goal

SAN JOSE – Few people can relate to what San Jose Sharks prospect Michael Misa is going through right now better than Patrick Marleau.

Like Misa, Marleau came into the Sharks’ organization as a second overall selection at the NHL Draft and hoped to make the team as an 18-year-old out of training camp.

Marleau, of course, put the work in and was able to impress then-coach Darryl Sutter enough to begin his professional career right away and later become the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,607), goals (522), and points (1,111).

Still, it was far from easy in the beginning, as he had one goal in his first 18 NHL games.

“Usually, when guys came in, they were put on the fourth line, third line. You kind of pay your dues a little bit,” Marleau said of his rookie season. “But the game’s changed and the league’s changed where guys are able to come in and then use their skill right away and get (top line) opportunities.”

For now, Misa, taken second overall by the Sharks at the draft in Los Angeles last Friday, simply wants to make the team, regardless of where he lines up. This week, he’s been trying to soak everything in during development camp, with Marleau and fellow San Jose icon Joe Thornton, the first overall pick in 1997 and a newly elected member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, looking on.

“It’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication,” Misa said of making the Sharks roster. “I think that this summer is going to be big for me to keep getting stronger and improve my game. So when I do come back for main camp, I’m ready.”

Misa, 18, said he hasn’t asked Marleau and Thornton about their experiences as teenagers in the NHL, but did pick up some on-ice pointers Tuesday and Wednesday. Thornton, for instance, told Misa after a drill that involved rimming the puck around the boards to make sure to scan the ice and look where his next touch would be before he got the puck.

“Which is something I should know,” Misa said, “because at the next level, everyone’s going to be on you right away.”

Marleau said Misa has the right mindset.

“Have a good summer here, get ready, come into camp, give it his best to try and make the team,” Marleau said, “and see where he’s at.”

There has been speculation that Misa, rather than signing an entry-level contract with the Sharks, might join his older brother, Luke, at Penn State. Misa, who has already won a CHL scoring title and a Memorial Cup, would be eligible to go to the NCAA as long as he doesn’t sign with the Sharks.

Misa hasn’t yet had a conversation about his future with Sharks general manager Mike Grier, but has been steadfast in saying that he wants to be in the NHL this fall.

“I want to be a Shark by (this fall),” Misa said. “That’s my goal.”

Hall call for Marleau?

Marleau loved to see Thornton get elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility last week, and wasn’t necessarily surprised that his longtime friend reacted the way he did, saying “holy doodle,” when he was told of the honor by Lanny McDonald and Ron Francis.

“He’s the best,” Marleau said of Thornton. “It’s great to see him get that recognition and be in the Hall of Fame. He deserves all the accolades. What an amazing career.”

Now it’s a matter of whether Marleau might get his own Hall call next year when he’s in his third year of eligibility.

“It’d be nice,” Marleau said.

Marleau, who last played in 2021 and retired the following year, played 1,779 games over a 23-year NHL career. That includes 21 seasons with the Sharks, two with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins at the end of the pandemic-affected 2019-2020 season.

Marleau passed Gordie Howe for the most games played record during the 2020-2021 season. He also ranks 25th all-time in regular season goals, scoring 566, and is 53rd with 1,197 points.

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Bordeleau traded

The Sharks on Wednesday traded forward Thomas Bordeleau to the New Jersey Devils for forward Shane Bowers.

Bordeleau, once viewed as a big part of the Sharks’ future after he was a second-round draft pick by the team in 2020, had 18 points in 44 career NHL games with San Jose, as he spent most of his tenure with the organization in the AHL. Over three-plus seasons with the Barracuda, Bordeleau had 107 points in 161 regular-season games,

Bordeleau, 23, was given a qualifying offer by the Sharks on Monday and is a restricted free agent.

Bowers, 25, had 17 points in 65 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets last season, and appeared in four games with the Devils. Bowers, listed at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, is entering the second year of a two-year, $1.55 million contract.