In what was probably the steal of the draft, the Calgary Flames somehow managed to snag Luke Misa with their fifth-round pick. Misa was expected to be selected as high as a late first- or early second-round pick, with a handful of scouts projecting that the furthest he drops is into the third round. Finally, after years of the Flames taking an unknown commodity over a player who seemed to be the best available player, the team finally made the consensus choice and took Misa in the fifth.
Who is Luke Misa?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| C/W | L | 5’10” | 174lbs |
The Oakville, Ontario product is not the tallest guy in the ice, but he uses his outstanding speed and strong two-way play to be an effective player at the OHL level. While this draft did lean heavier and taller, there is still a lot to be said for smaller players who have the speed and reads to be effective at the highest levels.
Misa’s on-ice production
Misa played his youth hockey with the Oakville Rangers, before being drafted ninth overall in the OHL Priority Draft by the Mississauga Steelheads.
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | D-1 | OHL | Mississauga Steelheads | 64 | 13 | 30 | 43 |
| 2023–24 | D+0 | OHL | Mississauga Steelheads | 66 | 26 | 55 | 81 |
Misa saw steady growth in his three seasons with the Steelheads, putting up 26 points in his first season then 43 the following year. This past season, he saw his numbers take a major step forward, putting up 81 points in 66 games, including 26 goals in that time. This was good for 21st in the league in points and 10th in the league in assists, just behind former Flames prospect Jack Beck.
The prospect also led his team in points this season, with the next player behind him a whole ten points behind him in production. His 55 assists this season was the most in franchise history. The Steelheads finished second in their division with 84 points and fourth in the Eastern Conference. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Misa had just three points in five games in the postseason.
Misa’s strengths
Skating
Misa is a very strong skater and one of the top technical skaters in the draft. His mechanics are smooth, and he understands how to position himself to get the most out of his feet on the ice.
He particularly excels in transition, where he can take the puck out of his own end with control and propel it into the offensive zone with ease. He does so with his outstanding speed as well as strong use of crossovers. Misa has a knack for forcing defenders to back off him as he attacks, giving him the space he needs to be creative in the offensive zone.
Take a look at this goal from development camp, where he was able to deke around the defender before out-waiting the goalie and scoring:
Playmaking
While he can definitely score, Misa’s calling card is his playmaking. He has a knack for making excellent passes, particularly one-touch passes and give-and-goes, which drive chances at the opposing team’s net. He reads the game at a really high level and is able to see his teammates’ movements from across the ice. This anticipation and awareness makes him such an offensive threat
Defensive details
Misa just plays the game the right way. He is great on the backcheck and is able to pickpocket attacking players with a good degree of frequency. Because he is such a strong skater, he has this tendency to appear to be all over the ice all the time and to get back on defense and prevent odd-man rushes.
He plays a consistent game. Even when he doesn’t hit the scoresheet (which was infrequently), his details continue to play well every shift night after night. Unlike some players when they reach a certain plateau in their game, Misa continues to push game after game to show he deserves a look at the next level. This is a trait that you absolutely want in a prospect.
Misa’s areas of improvement
Board battles and physicality
Look, being 5’10” makes it hard to win battles against guys over 6’0″, but Misa definitely needs to work on his strength in the corners if he is going to be an NHLer down the line. He’s quite good defensively in the middle of the ice, but along the walls, he simply isn’t the strongest guy. While he is unlikely to grow much at this point, he can definitely fill out muscle-wise and develop a good checking game.
Finishing
Misa has a decent shot and amazing hands, but he needs to work on his finishing. He gets many looks in tight but tends to prefer the pass over his shot. Whether this is a confidence thing or simply a mindset thing, Misa does need to work on shooting the puck much more.
When he does shoot it, it’s not bad, but more work can be done on his power with his shot as well as shot placement. There is a lot of potential here for growth, and adding more to his frame should help as well.
Misa’s next steps
Misa will be back in the OHL next season with the newly named Brampton Steelheads, and should hopefully see a bump in production if all goes well. Assuming as much, he should earn himself an entry-level contract from the Flames and begin his pro career with the Wranglers.
From there the real work begins. Misa will need to show he can make it at the AHL level, and that will take him figuring out the checking game that has eluded him for much of his career. The good news is that he’s a steady worker all over the ice and should be able to develop it.
I would expect that Misa will end up as a winger as opposed to a centre at the next level. This would give him more offensive opportunities without the need to battle the same way in the corners.
Projection with the Flames
If this all happens, Misa probably becomes a third line winger with offensive upside. The potential is there for him to climb onto the second line, but he is far more likely to be a complementary winger in a few years. He does have a lot of growing to do, but the details in his game combined with the high upside make him a good gamble for the Flames in a few years.
