Erie Otters forward Dylan Edwards, leftt, competes against Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa during an Ontario Hockey League playoff game at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie on April 1, 2025.

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Michael Misa NHL Draft Projection – Overview, Strengths, Weaknesses, and Projection for 2025 NHL Entry Draft

Michael Misa is considered to be the best forward in this year's draft

Erie Otters forward Dylan Edwards, leftt, competes against Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa during an Ontario Hockey League playoff game at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie on April 1, 2025.

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is nearly upon us after an intense Stanley Cup Final capping off the 2024-25 season. The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine took place in the first week of June, which featured 90 of the top prospects at the draft this year. Among those, a name that is likely to be called in the early stages of the draft is that of center, Michael Misa.

Michael Misa Overview

Michael Misa is a Canadian ice hockey player who played three seasons of amateur hockey with the Saginaw Spirit team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The 17-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, plays the forward position and shoots with his left hand.

Misa is one of the top prospects heading into this year’s NHL Entry Draft. As per the NHL Central Scouting Ranking, Misa is ranked as the second-best skater in North America, coming in only behind Matthew Schaefer.

In 2022, he was selected first overall by the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL draft after he was granted exceptional player status enabling him to partake in the OHL. Misa started making a name for himself from his rookie season itself, attaining 56 points from 22 goals and 34 assists in just 45 games.

In his sophomore season, Misa continued his high-quality play, racking up 75 points from 67 games, which included 29 goals and 46 assists, but it was his 2024 season in which he truly elevated his game. He scored 62 goals and provided 72 assists to earn a grand total of 134 points in 65 games.

Saginaw Spirit’s Michael Misa wins the CHL Top Scorer Award as he finished the season with 134 points. 👏 pic.twitter.com/Bi43GjtQw2
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 13, 2025

Michael Misa Strengths

Over the past three seasons with the Saginaw Spirit, Misa has shown he is a menace for defenders and a huge offensive weapon for any team looking to bolster their playmaking and scoring. Misa is a very talented skater with excellent four-way mobility, and his burst of speed is a sight to behold.

As far as shooting goes, Misa has superb mechanics, allowing him to be accurate even on powerful shots. The Ontario native has a variety of shots that he executes at a high level, from snap shots to one-timers. At the same time, he has the ability to make plays, using his high hockey IQ and creative passing skills.

Probably the more underrated strength of his is his work ethic and willingness to compete. Along with his exceptional skating and shooting skills, he brings in another dimension of hard work, which is all the more impressive.

CHECK OUT the speed burst from Michael Misa @SpiritHockey in this clip! And then that finish! #NHLDraft #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/3va8SYxsyW
— NHL Draft Prospects (@NHLDraftPros) June 14, 2025

Michael Misa Weaknesses

Misa is truly one of the better players from this draft class, and as such, there are not too many weaknesses in his game. Yet, if there is an area of improvement that needs to come in his game, it concerns his decision making at times. Sometimes, he tends to try a little too much instead of going for the easier play, and that leads to a loss of possession.

Also Read: Anton Frondell NHL Draft Projection – Overview, Strengths, Weaknesses, and Projection for 2025 NHL Entry Draft

Michael Misa Draft Projection

Without a doubt, Michael Misa is a top prospect at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He is projected to be selected in the top 3 as per several experts, and there is a good chance that he could even be the number one overall pick. Although he may have his doubters, the overall consensus is that Misa is the best player at his position from this draft class.

2025 NHL Draft

Michael Misa

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!