The Buffalo Sabres had several players fall short of expectations in 2021-22, but Casey Mittelstadt jumps out more than any other.
With the Buffalo Sabres looking to improve their roster well enough to compete for a playoff spot, any player that fell under expectations this season may not return in October. Casey Mittelstadt is one of those players who fell drastically short of expectations and it’s tough to say whether he will return in 2022-23.
The Sabres have Mittelstadt locked in until 2023-24, but that doesn’t mean they need to keep him around. You can name at least eight forwards who outplayed him this season, and that’s on the generous end of the spectrum.
Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt fell under expectations in 2021-22
To be fair, Mittelstadt struggled with an upper body injury earlier this season that kept him out of action for an extended period. But it still doesn’t erase the excuse for lack of production, with the forward logging 17 points in 36 games.
And it isn’t from lack of scoring chances. Mittelstadt, who is averaging more ice time this season than in any point of his career, has taken 101 shots, logging a 6.2% shooting percentage. Last season, he also struggled to produce, but he converted 16.4% of his 94 shots.
Between 2019 and 2021, Mittelstadt slowly improved his face-off win percentage from 39.7 (2018-19), to 46.7 (2019-20), to finally, 49.0 (2020-21). This season, he regressed, winning 43.7% of his 414 face-offs.
The upside is that Mittelstadt will turn 24 when next season rolls around, so he’s still young enough to salvage his NHL career. However, he only accomplished moving backwards in 2021-22 while further displaying a lack of durability, so it’s safe to say he’s fringe moving forward.
After having impressed in training camp before this season, Mittelstadt may find himself as the odd man out come October 2022. It’s also possible that, depending on who the Sabres bring in this offseason, they move Mittelstadt and try to get something out of him while he still has value.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)