Buffalo Sabres’ center Casey Mittelstadt ready for breakout season

After appearing in six games for the Buffalo Sabres last season, Casey Mittelstadt is ready to prove he was worth being selected 8th overall in 2017.

Expectations are already running high for Casey Mittelstadt, who is entering his first full season in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres. Drafted by the team with the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Mittelstadt his an opportunity to pen himself as a steal from the draft and even the best player in that draft.

The Sabres’ organization, as well as the fanbase, have welcomed Mittelstadt with open arms since joining the team last year. Still just 19 years old, he has a lot of hockey left to play and is mutually happy to be in Buffalo. When asked about the support he has received here, he replied, ““It’s cool to see that and it’s cool to have people excited that I’m here.  Obviously, I’m excited to be here too.”

The excitement the city of Buffalo has for Mittelstadt is due to his style of play — and of course his age. Mittelstadt possesses a variety of skills that put him in elite company at the NHL level. Here’s what Elite Prospects has to say about his skill set:

"An electric offensive presence on the ice, Casey Mittelstadt brings the complete package of speed, skill, and hockey sense. He competes hard with every shift, and has the dynamic puck skills to keep up with his creativity, which is a hallmark of his game. His awareness is all-encompassing, and he never puts his teammates in positions where their time and space will be bottlenecked. Bigger players don’t phase him, as he thinks the game analytically and will find chinks in the opposition’s armor on the fly. As a result, Mittelstadt is often seen forcing more complicated plays that the opposition won’t be able to read in time. On top of all this, he can play a north-south game, and his transition game is already at an elite level. He’s a complete player with the predatory instincts necessary to succeed as a consistent and, perhaps, dominant point producer at the next level."

Mittelstadt is the type of player the Sabres have been missing the past few years. Many have compared his play to the likes of Maxim Afinogenov and even Alexander Mogilny, two of my all-time favorites. Both were very creative with the puck, held a lot of speed and always found a way to put the puck in the back of the net.

I think we will see plenty of the same things from Mittelstadt.

Entering the league, a lot of teams overlooked Casey Mittelstadt due to his decision to finish out his senior year of high school. He was offered a chance to play at the University of Minnesota a year early, but decided he wanted to chase a state title with the boys he grew up with instead. Although many teams held it against him, the Buffalo Sabres didn’t and it will likely turn out to be a good decision on their part.

Mittelstadt would fall short of a state title that year, but would still put on a show all season long. Over 25 games, he posted nearly 2.5 points per game and led the league in assists (43) and points (64). He was also named the All-USA Player of the Year. His team lost in the semifinals, despite Mittelstadt recording 12 points in 3 games.

In my opinion, the teams that passed on Mittelstadt during the draft due to his decision to play his senior year, saying that his decision stunted his growth, are actually looking at the situation completely wrong. Mittelstadt’s skill and potential are real, no matter what. His decision in high school shows me that he is loyal and committed to his team — whether it’s high school, college or professional.

Shortly after his senior year, Mittelstadt posted the following tweet in response to the nay-sayers:

"“A lot was made out about me only coming back to win a state tournament, in my eyes it was all about another 5 months with the kids I love and grew up with. When you all fall in love with the same game together, it makes it that much more special and that much harder. So much goes into winning, and sometimes things just don’t go your way. Laying it on the line with my brothers will be the best memories of my entire life. … Thanks everyone who helped us out growing up through the years and who supported us this weekend. Nothing like MN hockey. #Eaglesforlife”"

If the Buffalo Sabres can find a way to turn their franchise around and start winning some games behind their young core, then they will connect with each other on a much larger level than just hockey. It could play a major role in keeping this young core in Buffalo for years to come. If Casey Mittelstadt proved to be that committed to his high school team, I would imagine the same being said about the team that drafted him.

After his senior year of high school, Mittelstadt would play in the USHL for the Green Bay Gamblers. He would record 13 goals and 17 assists in nearly 24 games, but cause for concern was raised with a majority of his points coming with the man advantage. Many NHL teams were worried he wouldn’t be able to produce at even strength, making him a one-dimensional player.

A lot of that noise could just be Mittelstadt developing, or at least that’s how I see it.

Last year, Mittelstadt gained a lot of valuable experience against much stronger competition. This is where we started to see the young player come to fruition and really start to excite the Sabres’ organization and fanbase.

In his first year with the University of Minnesota, Casey Mittelstadt appeared in 34 games, tallying 11 goals and 19 assists. He would follow that up with four goals and seven assists (7 games) for Team USA in the World Juniors. He helped Team USA to a bronze medal and was also named the most valuable player of the event.

Casey Mittelstadt has breakout candidate written all over him. The Buffalo Sabres caught a glimpse of his potential last season after he appeared in six games for the team. He proved his ability to produce, recording one goal and 4 assists over that span.

If the Sabres’ roster turnover this offseason translates to a more balanced team this season, Mittelstadt will be in smooth competition to be named the league’s Rookie of the Year. After dealing fellow center Ryan O’Reilly this offseason, the Sabres have a need for a center on their second line. Presumed to be Mittelstadt’s spot on the depth chart, he will not have a shortage of opportunity for the 2018-2019 season.

The Buffalo Sabres and the fanbase are expecting a lot from the young center, but Mittelstadt seems ready for the challenge. Making it to the NHL was a dream come true and that dream became more of a reality after he scored his first NHL goal vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mittelstadt received a lot of experience last season that he didn’t have before and it is already showing itself this offseason. He was one of two Sabres’ players with NHL experience at this year’s development camp. From what the team has said about him up to this point of the offseason, things seem to be in stride with the young center.

Steve Greeley, the Buffalo Sabres’ assistant general manager, is clearly excited to see what Casey Mittelstadt can do this year:

"“You think about it, a year ago, he was playing public high school hockey. Now, he’s got a year of college hockey under his belt and a couple NHL games. I think when we got him here [in Buffalo] in the spring, it opened his eyes up a bit to what it means to be a National Hockey League player; what the guys are doing after the game, workouts, how they’re eating. The Casey we’re seeing now is more mature, more refined in terms of trying to become an everyday, great National Hockey League player.”"

Even Casey Mittelstadt has expressed his potential and is happy to have an opportunity to show the world his talent. “I have high expectations for myself. I wanted to be one of the best guys, and do the best that I could. Just working on my strength, working on everything. Getting better at everything is the most important thing for me,” Mittelstadt stated at this year’s development camp.

If Casey Mittelstadt can find a way to make the offense work with the rest of the young core in Buffalo, including Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Aspland and others, the Sabres could be in for a wild ride in the near future. Eichel and Reinhart have already shown that they can produce, add Thompson and Mittelstadt to that equation, as well as the additions of Conor Sheary and Jeff Skinner, and I like what I see coming from Buffalo.

Casey Mittelstadt has an opportunity to begin forging himself as a force in this league and I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing that happen early this season.

What are your expectations for Casey Mittelstadt, entering his first full season in the NHL? Leave your thoughts below!