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

[Grinner]

Floor - 3C 40 points
Ceiling - 1/2C 80-90 points

I think I'd rather play him on the wing vs as a 3c

 

[Kingpin794]

Now has at least 2 points in each of the last 8 games (8g, 11a). Currently 5 points clear in the OHL scoring race.

 

[Star Platinum]

Now has at least 2 points in each of the last 8 games (8g, 11a). Currently 5 points clear in the OHL scoring race.

Watched the full game of Kingston-Saginaw yesterday and was pretty underwhelmed. His one really impact play in the game was a hard shot that rebounded off the goalie and was put back in. His profile is that he's a 200 foot player, but honestly most of the time in the defensive zone he wasn't participating in board battles, he was just sitting waiting for someone else to go get the puck and then head back up ice. I may have just caught him on one of his poorer games, but I was hoping for more.

 

[Kingpin794]

Watched the full game of Kingston-Saginaw yesterday and was pretty underwhelmed. His one really impact play in the game was a hard shot that rebounded off the goalie and was put back in. His profile is that he's a 200 foot player, but honestly most of the time in the defensive zone he wasn't participating in board battles, he was just sitting waiting for someone else to go get the puck and then head back up ice. I may have just caught him on one of his poorer games, but I was hoping for more.

Any one game sample will do a poor job of painting a full picture for a player, whether that be good, bad, or otherwise. Will say that I agree that the game against Kingston was probably one of his quieter games. Kingston did a great job taking away Saginaw's transition game and without that they can struggle. That's going to happen some nights. He is a 200 ft player it's just that Saginaw isn't meant to defend in their zone. So when that transition possessions I mentioned dry up, the pressure builds up quick. It's just the nature of an older/stronger team playing against a mid tier team in Saginaw.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Any one game sample will do a poor job of painting a full picture for a player, whether that be good, bad, or otherwise. Will say that I agree that the game against Kingston was probably one of his quieter games. Kingston did a great job taking away Saginaw's transition game and without that they can struggle. That's going to happen some nights. He is a 200 ft player it's just that Saginaw isn't meant to defend in their zone. So when that transition possessions I mentioned dry up, the pressure builds up quick. It's just the nature of an older/stronger team playing against a mid tier team in Saginaw.

Kingston was specifically focused on shutting down Misa, too.

 

[jtechkid]

Kingston was specifically focused on shutting down Misa, too.

I’ve watched 5 games of his , agree that’s probably too small of a sample . I thinks he’s really high end player but from what scouts say and agree doesn’t do anything off the charts elite . He kinda reminds of Hager’s year, he’s a stud but i don’t see sure bet stud nhl player. Just my two cents but he will go 2-3 in draft .

 

[Juxtaposer]

I’ve watched 5 games of his , agree that’s probably too small of a sample . I thinks he’s really high end player but from what scouts say and agree doesn’t do anything off the charts elite . He kinda reminds of Hager’s year, he’s a stud but i don’t see sure bet stud nhl player. Just my two cents but he will go 2-3 in draft .

Someone on the Sharks' board comped him to Logan Couture if he was a plus skater and I really like that comp. Couture didn't do anything at an elite level but he was really smart, had a great shot, and showed up when it mattered. No real weaknesses. I'd take him at 2.

 

[HawksDub89]

I’m starting to lean Misa > Hagens.

 

[Corso]

I’m starting to lean Misa > Hagens.

Maybe, how's his decision making lately? That was one of my biggest concerns with him at the start of the season.

 

[CaviarAndRinkFries]

 

[scoutman1]

I’m starting to lean Misa > Hagens.

dont think so...Misa is good, but Hagens has a way higher IQ and creates at a much higher speed than Misa.

 

[Finster8]

dont think so...Misa is good, but Hagens has a way higher IQ and creates at a much higher speed than Misa.

Way higher, that’s debatable only time will tell as they both develop and grow into their bodies. Misa does have a very complete game.

 

[scoutman1]

Way higher, that’s debatable only time will tell as they both develop and grow into their bodies. Misa does have a very complete game.

like i said Misa is good...but in my eyes Hagens has that 3rd eye with playmaking, he knows how to get the defense to draw to him and get his linemates open. Im not taking anything from Misa as i think he is going to be an amazing pick for any team.

 

[GunnarStahl]

Can someone offer a good NHL comp for Misa?.

 

[Briser la glace]

like i said Misa is good...but in my eyes Hagens has that 3rd eye with playmaking, he knows how to get the defense to draw to him and get his linemates open. Im not taking anything from Misa as i think he is going to be an amazing pick for any team.

IMHO: Hagens has elite vision, puckhandling, and processing, but Misa brings a level of chaos and creates scoring chances every time he’s on the ice. Both are exceptional, but they impact the game in different ways.

Hagens might be better with the puck on his stick outside the slot, but when it comes to being in the slot or playing without the puck, Misa stands out. He's everywhere, he's disruptive, he wins puck battles. Overall, I think Misa has the biggest impact on the game after Schaefer, although I’d consider Hagens and Martone to be more skilled. I think Misa could become an impactful playoffs player, I'd definitely want him on my team for a Game 7.

Having watched 13 games from Misa, Hagens, and Martone, I’d say Misa has been the most consistent and shown the most growth compared to previous years. The only area where I think he still struggles is with his puckhandling, which can be inconsistent at times at high speed (at least from what I've seen).

At the end of the day, it's a close call. They’re all highly talented, just in their own distinct ways.

Edit : For the record... Misa currently scores at 368.3 in my evaluation tool and Hagens at 368.2

 

[Deas]

IMHO: Hagens has elite vision, puckhandling, and processing, but Misa brings a level of chaos and creates scoring chances every time he’s on the ice. Both are exceptional, but they impact the game in different ways.

Hagens might be better with the puck on his stick outside the slot, but when it comes to being in the slot or playing without the puck, Misa stands out. He's everywhere, he's disruptive, he wins puck battles. Overall, I think Misa has the biggest impact on the game after Schaefer, although I’d consider Hagens and Martone to be more skilled. I think Misa could become an impactful playoffs player, I'd definitely want him on my team for a Game 7.

Having watched 13 games from Misa, Hagens, and Martone, I’d say Misa has been the most consistent and shown the most growth compared to previous years. The only area where I think he still struggles is with his puckhandling, which can be inconsistent at times at high speed (at least from what I've seen).

At the end of the day, it's a close call. They’re all highly talented, just in their own distinct ways.

Edit : For the record... Misa currently scores at 368.3 in my evaluation tool and Hagens at 368.2

Thanks for insightful post. Is that evaluation tool something you post/share somewhere?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Can someone offer a good NHL comp for Misa?.

Tyler Seguin.

 

[Briser la glace]

Thanks for insightful post. Is that evaluation tool something you post/share somewhere?

Thank you! It's unfortunately not available, but maybe one day . I can however explain how it works:

Each isolated viewing of a player is evaluated based on around 80 skills and habits (I evaluate all I can, but I can't cover 100% each game ). I also assess the likelihood of reaching specific roles (elite, 1st line, top-6, etc.) based on that game alone. Each skill and projection have a different weight, depending on its importance and my personnal preference, and I also adjust the weight of each game to emphasize recent performances or account for certain matchups. So yeah... 1000 isolated viewings = 1000 lines on my Excel sheet. This is madness.

There are also other minor scores that I mostly use as tiebreakers (age, playertype...), but most of the score is simply Acquired Skills + Projection.

It’s a bit complex, but it helps me pinpoint strengths and weaknesses more easily, and I believe this approach helps maintain objectivity while also tracking trends, consistency, and progression (and simply because I'm a fcking nerd). Ultimately, though, the effectiveness of these evaluation tools depends on the quality of the data and observations we input, and the sample size.

Back to Misa, he scores high because my tool tends to reward complete, high-floor and high-energy players. Hagens, on the other hand, may have more holes in his game, but he's elite in the categories I value the most.