<p>It really felt like Michael Misa’s stock fell after becoming the most recent OHLer to earn exceptional status. </p>



<p>Misa exploded on the scene with 22 goals and 56 points in 45 games before putting up 75 points with the Saginaw Spirit last year. Misa won the Memorial Cup, but he didn’t blow the doors off by any means.</p>



<p>But this year has been different. He had 17 goals in 13 games – scoring in all but two outings this year.</p>



<p>At his current rate of 89 goals, Misa has the chance to become the first player in the 2000s to get at least 80 goals – with the all-time record being Ernie Godden’s 87 with Windsor in 1980-81 as a 19-year-old. Keeping at that pace seems unlikely, but no player on this side of the millennium mark has scored at least 70 in their draft season. The closest was when Patrick Kane scored 62 with the London Knights in 2006-07, en route to going first overall. Steven Stamkos and John Tavares each had 58 in their draft years, with Tavares being a fellow exceptional status alum.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="187"></div>



<p>So, while it’s still early, and his exploits are bound to regress, we’re still talking about a special draft season. And there’s more than just a handful of people who think Misa could go No. 2 in the 2025 NHL Draft. It’s still wide-open behind James Hagens (who isn’t even a surefire No. 1 pick right now, and that’s not a knock on him whatsoever), and Misa is putting in the best season of any draft-eligible prospect right now.</p>



<p>The fun is only just beginning. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OHL</h2>



<p>– Misa isn’t the only former Mississauga Senators star making noise. <strong>Malcolm Spence </strong>has 14 points in 12 games with the Erie Otters this year, including seven in his past five outings. He isn’t shooting a ton, but he’s been mighty effective with and without the puck. I love his physicality and desire to stand out on every shift, and his ability to piss opponents off without getting himself in trouble is wildly entertaining. If Erie comes to town, you’ll want to check out Spence.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="171"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHL</h2>



<p>– <strong>Nathan Behm </strong>continues to make noise with the Kamloops Blazers. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound winger is built like a power forward, but he’s exceptionally skilled, too. He’s got the strength to power past opponents, but then beat them with a quick deke or a slick release. Behm has 12 goals and 22 points in 13 games, including 10 points over a two-game stretch last week. Not only that, but he’s five points clear of the second-highest-scoring player on the team, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/detroit-red-wings/line-combinations">Detroit Red Wings</a> prospect Emmitt Finnie. Behm is turning heads, and it’s easy to see why when you look at the results.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">QMJHL</h2>



<p>– Could a team take a chance on overage forward <strong>Felix Lacerte</strong>? He has 10 goals through 13 games after scoring 31 a year ago. He loves having the puck on his stick and makes things happen at such a high rate that you can’t help but notice him on the ice. The Shawinigan Cataractes forward is an excellent playmaker, too – but a lack of pure strength and defensive awareness doesn’t help him. Small, high-scoring wingers are a dime a dozen in the QMJHL, but I could see a team banking on Lacerte’s high-end puck skills.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="199"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">USHL</h2>



<p>– Injuries have limited USA Hockey National Team Development Program forward <strong>Jack Murtagh </strong>to just five points, but he has made them count. Since getting left off the scoresheet in the season-opening game against Sioux Falls, Murtagh has put up seven points in his last four games, including three multi-point efforts. I thought he looked excellent against the University of Michigan late last month, but just couldn’t find a way to pot one. Still, I think Murtagh has shown enough skill with the puck to earn some serious first-round consideration this year.</p>



<p>– No draft-eligible USHLer has a better point-per-game average than <strong>Ethan Wyttenbach</strong>‘s 1.20. That’s thanks to 12 points in 10 games with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, highlighted by a recent seven-game point stretch. That’s good for first in team scoring with a group that features four NHL-drafted prospects, too. Wyttenbach isn’t big and can be caught watching the puck too much, but he’s a creative playmaker with a solid wrister. Maybe he ends up becoming a mid-round pick, but I do expect him to put up good numbers with Quinnipiac when he makes the move to the NCAA.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="191"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NCAA</h2>



<p>– I saw <strong>Shane Vansaghi </strong>in person with Michigan State University last week, and came away impressed. He started out playing limited minutes, but was promoted to the top line and didn’t disappoint. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound forward might not be the fastest or most skilled player out there, but he hits like a truck and can play the penalty kill. And the fact that he complements skilled guys out there doesn’t help, either. I saw him a lot with the USNTDP last year and felt like he flew under the radar. I don’t see him going high in this year’s draft, but I think he’ll be an NHLer one day because he works his tail off.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Russia</h2>



<p>– I’m keeping a close eye on <strong>Semyon Frolov </strong>– a 6-foot-3 keeper with Ladia Togliatti in the MHL. He looked good a year ago as a Draft-1 option, but he has a solid .933 save percentage on a team that tends to leave him out to dry a little too often. He’s the backup to 19-year-old Danila Ovcharik, but Frolov continues to impress. He has ideal size, he’s athletic and tracks shots well, allowing him to come out on top in 2-on-0 situations quite often. It’s still early, but some scouts think he could be a 2nd-3rd-rounder come June because he has all the makings of a solid, smart, calm goaltender.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="228"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sweden</h2>



<p>– There were almost no reasons to watch Finland’s U-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup because no matter what they tried, nothing happened. <strong>Max Westergård,</strong> though, was Finland’s best player with three goals in four games – and he’s also one of the most productive players in the Swedish U-20 league. He leads all first-year eligibles with 19 points in 16 games, and despite being a bit undersized at 5-foot-11 and around 160 pounds, he looks to hit everyone in sight. Westergård is quick and fun to watch, but he could use a bit of muscle and he’s one of the youngest players in the draft overall I like that Frolunda has bounced him between the U-18 and U-20 levels to maximize his playing time, but he’s way too good to be playing against his age group – six points in two games is a bit ridiculous.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="148"></div>



<p>– One player to keep an eye out for: <strong>Mikkel Eriksen. </strong>The Norweigan forward has played at just under a point per game with Farjestad’s U-20 program and has played some solid hockey recently. He was Norway’s best player at the U-18s last year despite being an underager – he was born two days before he would have been forced into the 2026 NHL Draft. Eriksen is one of the most skilled forwards I’ve seen come from Norway, and I know many people there believe in him. He might be a mid-to-late pick, but that’s fine.</p>



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