Those who are close to me know that Mittelstadt has been one of my favorites since the Buffalo Sabres drafted him 8th overall in 2017.
I’d hate to be the one to say “I told you so!” but man does it feel so good. I know he’s been disappointing the last few seasons. From the Covid-shortened seasons to being injured for half the season, it was tough for Casey Mittelstadt to stand out. Especially with the rise of stars Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, and Tage Thompson.
Other than his silky hands and dominant stickhandling, it was hard to determine what Mittelstadt really brought to the table. Then the breakout happened.
Mittelstadt played in all 82 games this season, often filling in for one of our top guys like Tuch or Thompson when one faced injury. Starting off in the bottom six, Mitts was able to make the most of his opportunities when promoted to the top six.
In 82 games, Mittelstadt compiled 15 goals and 44 assists for a total of 59 points. While it may not be overly flashy like the players mentioned above, it is definitely a step in the right direction over the 21-22 season when he has 6 goals and 13 assists in 40 games.
This again creates yet another logjam for Kevyn Adams. There are many candidates to be considered for the top six on forward next season. Jeff Skinner – Thompson – Alex Tuch is set in stone.
What will the Buffalo Sabres second line look like in 2023-24?
Mittelstadt finished the season with a 45.9 face-off %.
Cozens finished the season with a 48.3 face-off %.
Ideally for me, it would be Mittelstadt – Cozens – Jack Quinn. However, there are some good candidates to be considered for that second Line RW position. Jordan Greenway, Victor Olofsson, J.J. Peterka, or even Matt Savoie to name a few.
At times I’ve seen people demand that Mittelstadt is traded this offseason. At 24 years old and having one year remaining on a friendly contract of $2.5 million AAV, Mitts could bring in a lot of interest from teams.
His stock is at an all time high and if he builds off of how he finished the season, his value will only increase. However, he’s more valuable to us now more than ever. A second line combo of a playmaker like Mitts and a power forward like Cozens could be a dangerous duo. Add a sniper to the right wing, and our second line will be as lethal as our first.
In the final 10 games of the season, Mittelstadt had 5 goals and 11 assists for a whopping 16 points! That includes a six-game point streak to finish it off. He has began to gain the trust of many Sabres fans after many of us had given up on him.
I’m guilty of losing hope on him and including him in mock trades despite him being one of my favorites. This is also the second year in a row that Mittelstadt has scored the game-winning goal in our final home game of the season. Pretty neat.
From a kid who couldn’t do a pull up at the draft combine (please, let it go) and struggled for many seasons after to becoming a top six forward, excellent playmaker, great teammate, and overall stud, I’m so excited to see what he does next season during the Buffalo Sabres playoff run.
(Statistics provided by Elite-Prospects and Hockey-Reference)