SAN JOSE – Sharks rookie heart Michael Misa continues to rehab from a lower-body damage. Nonetheless, it stays unclear whether or not the 18-year-old can be accessible to play within the IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins subsequent month in Minnesota.
Misa sustained the damage on Nov. 5 throughout the Sharks’ morning skate in Seattle, hours earlier than their recreation in opposition to the Kraken, and was thought of week-to-week at that time. Misa was at SAP Heart a few days later, carrying a strolling boot on his proper foot.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated Tuesday that the Sharks are “a few more days away from looking to see (if we can) get him on the ice.” Warsofsky stated Monday that Misa is farther from a return than Jeff Skinner, who might start skating once more in roughly two weeks.
Till Misa begins to skate once more, the Sharks won’t know whether or not he’ll be wholesome sufficient to play within the World Juniors, which start Dec. 26. The Sharks must make Misa accessible to play within the occasion.
Hockey Canada is planning to carry a coaching camp, not a variety camp, for potential gamers in Niagara Falls, Ontario, from Dec. 12-22. Whereas the group invited 32 gamers – however not Misa — to a four-day choice camp final 12 months, a smaller group will attend this 12 months, as Canada prioritizes preparation over analysis. Counties could take as much as 25 gamers.
A wholesome Misa can be an asset to a Canadian workforce trying to win World Junior gold for the primary time since 2023. Coming off a season during which he completed with a Canadian Hockey League-leading 134 factors in 65 regular-season video games, Misa, a local of Oakville, Ontario, had three factors in seven video games with the Sharks earlier than his damage.
A few month after the Sharks took him with the second total choose on the NHL Draft in Los Angeles, Misa performed for one of many three Canadian groups that took half within the World Junior Summer time Showcase in Minnesota in late July. He had two objectives and two assists in 5 video games and performed on the identical workforce as Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson, who had three objectives in three video games.
Dickinson, 19, is also launched to play within the World Junior occasion for a second straight 12 months. Going into Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to the Utah Mammoth, Dickinson had two factors in 14 video games and was averaging 14:18 in ice time.
For now, Warsofsky stated Misa is constant to rehab at Sharks Ice and attending workforce conferences.
“There are still ways we can continue to develop him,” stated Warsofsky, including that Misa is in a superb place mentally.
“This won’t be his last injury that he misses a little bit of time with. You could look at it as a negative, but it’s also a way (for him to learn) in different ways. So, he’s been really good. Morale is good.”
