Misa Now Up to 191 lbs at 6'1
DraftPros just released a scouting report on him on YouTube. The best way to describe it in one word?
Flawless. He has no noticeable weaknesses and checks every box in his game. He'll likely be the OHL Player of the Month shortly.
Team Canada clearly made a mistake by not including him on their World Juniors squad, where several players struggled to score. Misa has responded by putting up ridiculous numbers in goals and assists. On top of that, he's a great two-way player and winning about 55% of his faceoffs.
DraftPros also predicts he'll head straight to the NHL next season.
I currently rate him above Hagens as the best forward prospect (and center) in this draft. Hagens isn't flawless—he's a gifted player, but there are concerns. Another 5'10.5" center isn’t what the Hawks need. Hagens has often been in privileged situations, being the go-to guy during his 23/24 season, which feels like playing on an All-Star youth team.
This season, he's the 1C between Leonard and Perreault at BC—a highly favorable position. Despite that, he's skewing more toward assists than goals, and I expected more goals by now. He hasn't impressed me as much as Celebrini did as a 1C for BU last year in his freshman season.
I’m not convinced Hagens will be a one-and-done next season like Misa. I see Misa as an instant-impact player—a true 1C playing as a 2C and driving that line.
So, if the Hawks have the #1 overall pick, Misa would be an excellent choice. That said, Schaefer is a potential 1D solution for building a Cup-winning core. However, he may need another year in juniors because he's still very young and missed the back half of this season due to injury at the World Juniors.
It's a very tough decision: a perfect forward fit versus a perfect defensive fit that needs more development time. The NHL GM manual always says to take a franchise 1D over a forward, even if the forward is a top-line or 2C star.
Either way, I hope the Hawks get one of these two top targets.
I'm less sold on Hagens and also have some concerns about Martone.
If the Hawks draft third or fourth and both Schaefer and Misa are off the board, and the choice is Martone, Hagens, or Caleb Desnoyers, I'd take Desnoyers. He's the next-best 2C solution for the Hawks.
Desnoyers plays even better defensively than Misa. He may even be better in the faceoff circle, winning nearly 64% of his draws, although he's taken fewer total faceoffs than Misa. DraftPros also calls him the smartest two-way forward in the draft, with solid offensive skill. He's great at keeping his feet moving while also having the intelligence to slow the game down and create passing lanes.
Misa may have better straight-line speed and a stronger shot, but Desnoyers is an elite puck handler with the ability to maneuver around checkers. There's a lot to like about his game, and I believe he still has an even higher ceiling, though he probably needs one more season in juniors.
Meanwhile, I think Misa is NHL-ready next season.
My top three fits for the Hawks are:
- Schaefer
- Misa
- Desnoyers (who's now well over 6'2" and just needs to fill out his frame; he'll dominate even more once he adds weight and muscle).
If all three are off the board, and the Hawks draft at #4, I'd prefer Martone over Hagens as a better fit for team needs and size. If a team drafting at #5 wants to move up for Hagens, trading down would be smart.
Another 5'10.5" center just isn't what the Hawks need. That doesn't mean Hagens can't be a fit for another team, but he's not right for Chicago.
I just hope management understands this and avoids going with another undersized forward or center, regardless of where Hagens sits on their draft board. The current consensus may be overrating him without considering team fit.
