Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt looked as though he solidified his bust status over the first three games of the season.
In his first two games of 2022, Casey Mittelstadt had zero points and eight giveaways. He pretty much solidified his status as an NHL bust, and for Buffalo Sabres fans, the countdown to Matt Savoie had begun.
When the Sabres played Edmonton, Mittelstadt committed two more giveaways, but he scored an assist in the contest. As for the last two games? Well, his most recent performances are two of three reasons why we still need to believe in Casey Mittelstadt. Let’s check them out.
Reason #1 – Recent offensive production
While Mittelstadt was abysmal in his first two contests and up-and-down in the game vs. Edmonton, he scored four points in his previous two outings (one goal, and three assists). Even more impressive? Zero giveaways.
And yes, I get it. It’s a two-game sample size, and even some of the NHL’s biggest busts have enjoyed spurts of success. Perhaps that’s all this is for Mittelstadt. Then again, his five points in five games are tied for third on the team with Victor Oloffson. That said, it’s premature to throw in the towel just yet.
Reason #2 – Faceoff wins
I first noticed Mittelstadt pulling off faceoff win after faceoff win in the preseason. And he has since carried that success over into the regular season. In five games, Mittelstadt has won at least 53.8% of his faceoffs three times, and has posted an FOW% of 53.3%.
So far, he has been the most consistent player on the team in the category. And in two games this season, his FOW% encroached the 60% or higher mark.
Reason #3 – Recent resiliency
This trait has surprised me given the fact I’ve seen lack of work ethic from Mittelstadt seemingly since he started with the Buffalo Sabres. But for a player to kick off the season as poorly as he, only to enjoy solid production over the past two contests, Mittelstadt may possess more resiliency than we actually think.
And if that is indeed the case, you can expect the Casey Mittelstadt of the previous two contests as opposed to the player who has barely been a factor over his first few seasons in the league. We saw this trait in Rasmus Dahlin last season, and look where it’s led him. Perhaps Mittelstadt can follow.
At 24 years of age, time is on his side. So while many have been writing the former first round pick off as a bust, let’s see if he can keep up his productive ways before we draw any conclusions.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)