It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL draft rankings and draft profiles! Using our very own consolidated rankings, we will be taking a look at the top 50 prospects for this year’s draft. The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on June 27 and 28 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The NHL is testing a decentralized draft this summer.
Coming in at second is Michael Misa, a standout talent from Oakville, Ontario, who could make a case to go first overall in the draft and is seen by many as the best forward available.
Who is Michael Misa?
| Player | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Misa | C/LW | Left | 185 cm/6’1 | 84 kg/185 lbs |
Misa’s on-ice production
| Year | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | GTHL U16 | Mississauga Senators U16 AAA | 27 | 16 | 27 | 43 |
| 2022–23 | OHL | Saginaw Spirit | 45 | 22 | 34 | 56 |
| WHC-17 | Canada Red U17 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2023–24 | OHL | Saginaw Spirit | 67 | 29 | 46 | 75 |
| 2024–25 | OHL | Saginaw Spirit | 65 | 62 | 72 | 134 |
Misa began playing AAA hockey for the Mississauga Senators’ U16 team and put up an impressive 43 points in 27 games. Misa’s strong play resulted in him gaining exceptional status, a major achievement, which meant that he was able to enter the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) early. This achievement was reached by various NHL players in the past, including names such as Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, John Tavares, and Shane Wright. Misa would get selected first overall by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection draft.
In his first season in the OHL as a 15-year-old, Misa showed his exceptional status through his numbers. Misa’s rookie season would see him score 56 points in 45 games, but he would end up injuring his tibia, which resulted in the forward missing about 20 regular season games. If Misa were to have stayed healthy that season, it’s a strong bet that he would’ve broken John Tavares’ season scoring record of 77 points as a rookie with exceptional status during the first season. Misa scored eight points in 11 games for the Spirit during the postseason and also appeared at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he recorded six points in seven games as a member of Team Canada Red.
During the 2023–24 season, Misa kicked up his production and continued to dominate on a strong Spirit team. He scored 29 goals and 75 points in 67 games, finishing second on the team in scoring, and would help the Spirit capture their first ever Memorial Cup Championship, recording 11 points in 17 postseason games.
Misa has hit on a whole new level this season, which has resulted in him being a strong candidate to be selected first overall. Misa finished this season leading the Spirit in scoring with 62 goals and 134 points in 67 games. His point total led to him tying Tavares for most points by a skater under 18 since 2000. His jump in production has been unbelievable, and there’s no doubt that Misa’s talent is rich.
Misa’s strengths and weaknesses
One of Misa’s biggest strengths is his skating and awareness. He possesses NHL-worthy speed and edgework, which only adds to his strong agility and acceleration. His strong skating gives him the ability to generate and carry offensive plays with ease, as well as transition between offensive and defensive zones.
It’s also a given that Misa possesses strong hockey IQ and creativity when he’s on the ice. He often takes full advantage of the space he has to generate plays that often lead to high-danger scoring chances. He has a lethal shot, elite puck-moving skills, and stick handles with ease.
Misa is also great at the defensive side of the game. It’s often to see forwards who are as offensively gifted as Misa lack the defensive part of their game, but Misa doesn’t fit this mold. He backchecks hard and is great at forechecking opponents to force turnovers and puck possession.
His weaknesses, on the other hand, include some aspects of his physicality and his risk management. Misa has been critiqued on the fact that he could be more physical along the boards since he does have a substantial foundation being 6’1 and 185lbs. But this is normal with young players, and as players gain experience and size, physicality increases as a result.
Misa has also been critiqued on the fact that some of these plays are “high risk,” which can lead to turnovers. Again, this is quite common with young players, and as Misa develops, he’ll learn more about the need to minimize unnecessary and overcomplicated plays that lead to mistakes.
Fit with the Flames
Obviously, Misa isn’t getting drafted by the Calgary Flames as they won’t be in the mix for a draft pick this high, but hypothetically, Misa would be one of the biggest adds this team could make if they had that option.
First of all, his position and familiarity as a centre is something the Flames desperately need. They don’t have an elite, game-breaking forward in their prospect pool, and Misa would be that player. They would fulfill a positional need, and Misa would potentially be the franchise’s true number one centre, a player the Flames haven’t had in some time.
Misa would also be joining fellow Spirit teammate Zayne Parekh, who has a large ceiling of his own. He’d also be joining his brother, Luke Misa, who has immense potential despite being a later-round pick.
There isn’t a good argument for why a player like Misa wouldn’t benefit the Flames. If the team ever finds itself in the position to draft a player with his type of pedigree, it’s a no-brainer.
Misa’s NHL projection
Given how high scouts are on Misa and his increasing totals year by year, he’s projected to be a pretty good NHLer. The sky is the limit for this player, and his projection is likely an elite first-line centre or winger.
Looking at his skills, which include elite hockey IQ, skating, and offensive talent, Misa has all the tools to be a dominating force in this league. It won’t be long until he makes the jump into the NHL full-time after he’s drafted, and his talent makes him a potential franchise player for whichever team selects him.
As for his NHL comparable, players such as Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, and Brayden Point have all been names he’s been compared to by scouts. For me, Point makes the most sense, looking strictly at hockey IQ, offensive versatility, and strong skating.
Summary on Misa
It’s understandable why Misa is seen as the best forward in this year’s draft class, and he likely won’t have to wait long for his name to get called. He possesses the tools to become an elite force in this league.
Whichever team drafts Misa will have the pleasure of adding a high-end player with a large ceiling into their system. Prospects like Misa are the types of players teams build around, and his addition has the potential to be franchise-altering.
Risk: 1/5
Reward: 5/5
NHL comparables, Brayden Point, John Tavares
Projection: Elite first-line forward
Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:
Matthew Schaefer | Michael Misa | James Hagens | Porter Martone | Anton Frondell | Victor Eklund | Roger McQueen | Caleb Desnoyers | Jackson Smith | Jake O’Brien | Carter Bear | Radim Mrtka | Lynden Lakovic | Brady Martin | Justin Carbonneau | Malcolm Spence | Cameron Reid | Logan Hensler | Cameron Schmidt | Ben Kindel | Kashawn Aitcheson | Cullen Potter | Braeden Cootes | Ivan Ryabkin | Blake Fiddler | Cole Reschny | Joshua Ravensbergen | Bill Zonnon | William Moore | Jack Nesbitt | Jack Murtagh | Milton Gastrin | Sascha Boumedienne | Henry Brzustewicz | Adam Benak | Shane Vansaghi | Cole McKinney | Jakob Ihs-Wozniak | Ryker Lee | Ben Kevan | Michal Svrcek | Arvid Drott | Conrad Fondrk | Charlie Trethewey | Luca Romano
