The Franchise-Altering Player the Pittsburgh Penguins Are Poised to Draft Has Been Revealed

Michael Misa, a rare young player who was awarded exceptional status in the Canadian Hockey League, made himself an NHL Draft number one, two, or three pick in 2025.

Misa surprised everyone with his long record of excellence and massive strides in development.

Misa began with a breakout first-year campaign with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League in 2022-23 with 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 45 games playing at a point-per-game pace.

He contributed eight points in 11 playoff games, too, and his clutch calm was evident.

He backed up last season with 75 points in 67 games, and this season broke out offensively with 134 points (62 goals, 72 helpers) in 65 games, the most by an OHL draft-eligible player since Patrick Kane in 2006-07.

His points-per-game rate jump is proof of his development. Not only does he possess a general offense and two-way potential, but playing center and wing also qualifies him to be a valuable option for any line.

He is a high special-teams candidate on the power play, but his penalty killing isn't necessarily top-shelf; however, his special-teams potential overall is high.

In particular, the Pittsburgh Penguins need to seriously take their chances with Misa if the opportunity presents itself.

With franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin later in their careers, Misa could be their own generational superstar to revive the competitive spirit of the team.

His combination of ability, maturity, and unlimited ceiling would make an annual contender out of the Penguins.

Passing on Misa would be passing up an opportunity for Pittsburgh hockey to be revitalized, so Kyle Dubas needs to be prepared to do whatever it takes to draft him.