F Michael Misa - Saginaw Spirit, OHL (2025 Draft)

[Hockeyville USA]

He was never generational. He had an otherworldly ohl cup and that was the tipping point to give him ES.

ES isn't what it used to be though, almost every year someone is at least considered for it. It basically just means you are the best player in Canada for that age group and a bit better than a "normal year" at this point.

Just in the last 5 years there are multiple players better at thay age than misa (Bedard, Dupont, McKenna) from Canada alone.

He had and still has elite potential, but he wasn't even close to generational, that's just unfair expectations

Pretty sure Marek or others in the O circles reported or alluded to that Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey Federation was on the fence about granting Misa Exceptional Status, but caved and gave it to him because they'd lost so many players to the Chicago Steel and NCAA route (Power, Fantilli, Celebrini, Hage) so they felt they needed to give it to him to keep Misa in Canada.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Pretty sure Marek or others in the O circles reported or alluded to that Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey Federation was on the fence about granting Misa Exceptional Status, but caved and gave it to him because they'd lost so many players to the Chicago Steel and NCAA route (Power, Fantilli, Celebrini, Hage) so they felt they needed to give it to him to Misa in Canada.

Yeah, he definitely threatened to leave. To be fair to him, he did show he merited it; notwithstanding Bédard’s shortened bubble season, he had the highest PPG of all ES players in their 15 year old season. No one ever considered him generational but a very solid number one candidate nonetheless

 

[Finster8]

Misa has a chance to get traded. Saginaw is in 5th in the conference and playing like crap. No picks to get better might be time to sell. Parekh Willis Mangone would have them more picks for a good 07 08 bunch coming up. Both Misa and Parekh would get 2-1st rd 08 between them.
Drinkill has plenty to think about

 

[Bonin21]

Don't trade too much for him if he's just going to leave for NCAA next season.

 

[JadedRandom]

Misa has a chance to get traded. Saginaw is in 5th in the conference and playing like crap. No picks to get better might be time to sell. Parekh Willis Mangone would have them more picks for a good 07 08 bunch coming up. Both Misa and Parekh would get 2-1st rd 08 between them.
Drinkill has plenty to think about

If they do trade him, I hope they trade him to the Steelheads. It would be funny, and quite dumb to see Misa and Martone on the same line wreaking havoc in the OHL.

Don't trade too much for him if he's just going to leave for NCAA next season.

I know you've said it in jest, but I think the most likely scenario for Misa as an NHL prospect next season will probably be to get his 9 games in the NHL and then either go back to junior one more year if he clearly isn't ready, or force his team's hands and end up playing pro as an 18 year-old.

I get "Leo Carlsson and/or Adam Fantilli vibes" as far as Misa's potential handling in the NHL goes. Hopefully Misa end up being more pro-ready than both those guys.

So yeah, in the case of Misa I think the NCAA route is pretty unlikely (probably same for Martone), but I think that maybe McKenna will be the one prominent CHL superstar that ends up going that route as he's already shown this year that he's too good for the CHL already in his D-1 and may be looking at facing a slightly better, more systematic opposition in his draft year.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I hope he gets drafted by San Jose or Chicago. Would love to see what he could be able to do with Bedard or Celebrini.

 

[Finster8]

Misa getting ready to have Igor Chernyshov return to Saginaw to play wing. Those two will feast in the OHL with Willis and Parekh. Scary

 

[Forlan]

I hope he gets drafted by San Jose or Chicago. Would love to see what he could be able to do with Bedard or Celebrini.

I also hope that he will be in San Jose

 

[eklund2chicago]

How good is Misa’s transitional game?

 

[macbowes]

How good is Misa’s transitional game?

Elite. He's probably the best transition forward in the draft, with only Hagens maybe being better.

 

[BHawk21]

Hows his two way game? I just listened to a podcast where Steven Ellis says hes 1 dimensional. I was under the impression that he was good defensively.