The Buffalo Sabres played better in 2022-23 than most envisoned. And along the way, they found three valuable players whose roles will increase next season.
Oftentimes during developmental seasons, you will cross a few players who more than exceeded expectations. The story was no different for the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23, as just about the entire roster improved its game, sans a few outliers.
Who were these players, and what can we expect from them moving forward? Keep reading for a breakdown.
Top 3 Buffalo Sabres whose stock is rising
1 – Casey Mittelstadt
If you were handing out a Most Improved Player award to one member of the Buffalo Sabres, Casey Mittelstadt is your likely winner. For a while, I said he’d never live completely up to expectations the Blue and Gold envisioned when they drafted him eighth overall, but he’s making a compelling case to evolve into reaching them.
This season, Mittelstadt has 55 points, 13 goals, and 42 assists, career highs across the board. While he can stand to take care of the puck better, his 50 takeaways are also by far the highest of his career and they have solidified him as a budding defensive forward.
Expect Mittelstadt to solidify himself on the bottom six next season. You can also look for Mittelstadt, after a full offseason and training camp, to develop into a force not only in scoring, but also in defensive play, as he showed multiple times this year. He’s going to be fun to watch.
2 – Riley Stillman
Riley Stillman helped bring a more physical edge to the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23 when they traded for him earlier this year. No, he’s not a top four guy, but Stillman can earn a spot on the third pairing and he can even be a solid rotational piece, dressing for games that the Blue and Gold could use an edgier, more aggressive defenseman.
Stillman’s age is also a bonus. At 25, he fits into the youth movement that’s been taking over the Sabres over the past two seasons. And he could, if he sticks to the lineup and plays his role well, wind up signing an extension with Buffalo.
3 – Devon Levi
No one’s stock has risen faster than goaltender Devon Levi’s. Despite having made the transition from college to the NHL a mere month ago, Levi already started in six games, playing well overall.
During his “trial,” Levi proved he will be the top goaltender going into 2023-24. That’s a breath of fresh air to Buffalo Sabres fans everywhere, who saw their team seemingly go through more goaltenders between 2014-2023 than the Buffalo Bills did quarterbacks between 2004-2018.
When the Bills found their quarterback, they transformed into a powerhouse team. Now that the Sabres found their goaltender, perhaps they will follow suit.
Source: Observations: Sabres officially eliminated from playoff contention with 6-2 loss by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)