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Buffalo Sabres: Bold prediction regarding Casey Mittelstadt

By Sion Fawkes

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 12: Casey Mittelstadt #37 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 12: Casey Mittelstadt #37 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Hockey News made a bold prediction regarding Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt, claiming his injury tied in with his struggles. 

While it is true that Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt underperformed in 2021-22, many in the Buffalo media are not giving up on the former eighth overall pick. Since Mittelstadt struggled with an upper-body injury, Buffalo Hockey News believes he will finally enjoy a breakout season in 2022-23.

And despite his struggles as a productive forward, Mittelstadt has seen some success in the past. So it makes sense that Buffalo Hockey News is saying he can move beyond his subpar 2021-22 campaign.

Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt can produce when given the chance

You look at Mittelstadt’s numbers, and you see underwhelming production since his NHL debut in 2017-18. The Sabres also allocated the former first-round pick to Rochester in the past because of bland performances.

But, you cannot look away from his shooting percentage. Before this season, Mittelstadt’s percentage has never dipped below 10.2%. And he achieved a career-high in it last season. And while his face-off win percentage also dropped, Mittelstadt saw steady improvement between 2018-19 (39.7% FOW), and 2020-21 (49.0).

He also handles the puck well, committing just 14 giveaways this season. He also tied a career-high in assists over just 38 games played, with 13. He has, however, achieved a career-high in the category if you factor in assists per game (0.342). So there is definite improvement.

If Mittelstadt can bring his FOW back to the 49 percent or higher level and return his shooting percentage to at least 10 percent or better, he can easily solidify himself on the team’s second line. This is a player who, coming into the season, was supposed to find a permanent spot on the top scoring line.

The potential is there and Mittelstadt hasn’t exactly fallen off a cliff production-wise. So while Buffalo Hockey News is making a bold prediction regarding Mittelstadt’s future, it is not as farfetched as it seems.

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Expect Mittelstadt to have a hot training camp coming into next season. If he stays healthy and returns to his 2020-21 form, he won’t exactly remove the bust label. But he will become an integral part of the team.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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