Welcome back to The Win Column Calgary Flames Prospect Rankings. Coming in 12 this year is the freshly drafted Luke Misa. Misa was a fifth-round selection by the Flames back in June at the 2024 draft. Hailed as one of the biggest late-round steals in the entire draft, Misa comes to the organization with a ton of upside and potential.
Misa’s development so far
Misa has been a star-level producer at every level he’s played at. In 2019–20 Misa skated for the Oakville Rangers U15 AAA team where he led his team in points per game with 62 points in 33 games. Following that season, he missed his entire D-3 season due to the pandemic. Regardless, his strong 2019–20 season made an impact as he was selected ninth overall by the Mississauga Steelheads in the 2021 OHL priority draft.
In his first season in the OHL, Misa put up 26 points in 62 games which was the fourth highest total among rookies on his team. He took a nice step forward the following season with 43 points in 64 games which was third on a very weak Steelheads roster.
This most recent season is where Misa really started to make headlines. His production skyrocketed as he posted 81 points in 66 games—a 37-point increase from his previous season. His 81 points led the Steelheads in scoring, with the next closet player coming in at 71. He also added three points in five playoff games as the Steelheads were knocked out in the first round.
As a November 2005 birthday, Misa already has three full seasons of OHL action under his belt which isn’t a common occurrence for the rest of his draft class. He’s slowly but surely increased in production in all three seasons and if his D-0 season is any indication, he’s just beginning his development path.
Misa’s strengths and weaknesses
Misa’s biggest strength is his skating. He’s an effortless and technically sound skater and he allows him to make an impact despite his smaller stature. He’s able to transition the puck up ice and weave around the neutral and offensive zones using his skating ability. He’s a pleasure to watch move on the ice.
The below goal from the Flames development camp is a great example of Misa using his skating and quick feet. He attacks the defender head-on before making a quick cut to change direction and drive the net to the outside. It’s rare to find a player under six feet drive the net like that and it shows how important skating is in his game.
Misa also has very strong puck skills. He’s a great stick handler, incredibly elusive, and hard to contain at times. Combined with his strong skating, Misa can be a handful to contain in the offensive zone. It’s not just about generating goals for himself when it comes to Misa though. He’s a great distributor of the puck and his playmaking and vision are constantly on full display. He’s great at finding teammates and setting up chances for them.
Misa’s weaknesses are quite clear. He obviously needs to add some more size and strength to his game. At 5’10” and just 174 pounds, he is tiny. He needs to add some more mass to his frame if he wants to be successful at the next level, but he and everyone else already knows that. It’s simply something that comes with being a smaller player.
He also lacks consistency in his game. There are shifts and even full games where he’s not much of an impact player. It’s something that he’ll need to fix as he works his way up the ranks. He doesn’t possess the best shot or elite high-end skill, so he can tend to fade into the background if his skating and playmaking aren’t factoring into the on-ice outcomes.
Misa’s next steps
Misa will return to the Steelheads in the OHL next year for his fourth year in the league. He’ll once again be an offensive leader on the Steelheads roster, and alongside top 2025 draft prospect Porter Martone, Misa has a legitimate shot to crack 100 points next year.
Due to his size and the inconsistency in his game, Misa is certainly a long-term project. He’ll no doubt need multiple seasons in the AHL to round out his game before he can make his run at becoming a full-time NHLer. With that said, the Flames picked up Misa in the fifth round which is incredible value for a player with his skill. They can afford to give him as much time as he needs to fix the weaknesses in his game.
If everything goes right for Misa over the next few years, he has real middle-six potential in the NHL as a Swiss-army knife-type winger. Whether or not he ever gets there is a major question mark but for a fifth-round pick, you can’t go wrong.
Calgary Flames 2024 Top 15 Prospects
Honourable Mentions | #15 William Stromgren | #14 Jacob Battaglia | #13 Aydar Suniev | #12 Luke Misa | #11 Etienne Morin | #10 Henry Mews | #9 Samuel Honzek | #8 Matvei Gridin | #7 Jakob Pelletier | #6 Andrew Basha | #5 Jeremie Poirier | #4 Hunter Brzustewicz | #3 Matt Coronato | #2 Dustin Wolf | #1 Zayne Parekh
