3 teams that should call the Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt by the trade deadline
The Sabres could be getting hot, but that doesn’t mean top contenders should shy away from at least calling them about Casey Mittelstadt.
Casey Mittelstadt holds a lot of value for the Buffalo Sabres, and there are more than a few solid reasons for the organization to hang onto him. But the NHL is also an unpredictable business, so nothing general manager Kevyn Adams and company do come March 8th should surprise us if he gets an enticing offer from a contender or even a team on the playoff bubble.
Mittelstadt would attract quite a few contenders who may not have an advanced budget at or near the trade deadline, but don’t be surprised if a few teams who can afford him to inquire.
A productive but by no means a star player, Mittelstadt won’t command a huge salary or perhaps even a long-term contract if he goes elsewhere and a potential new team seeks to extend him. Yet, since his productivity saw a decent uptick around the middle of the 2022-23 season, Mittelstadt has proven that at the absolute least he can make things happen on the middle-six and even the top line should injuries strike.
He’s also the type of player who could give anyone’s power play a boost, so less-than-stellar teams on the man advantage may also voice their interest.
A few teams should call the Sabres about Casey Mittelstadt’s availability
Given his modest contract and solid productivity over the past 16 months, quite a few teams would be correct to call the Sabres to see if they can work out a deal for Mittelstadt, but there are three teams that rise above the rest.
One team listed in the following slides needs somebody to help turn around their lackluster offense. Another would use Mittelstadt to create a better balance for their entire unit, while the third team listed has had success in working out deals with the Sabres in the recent past.
The Islanders need at least one more legitimate asset on offense
Few potential contenders need more help than the New York Islanders, who are currently 23rd in the league scoring-wise with just 167 goals. While no one will praise Casey Mittelstadt as a prolific goal-scorer, few in the NHL are better at finding open linemates than the 25-year-old center since his productivity surge commenced in December 2022.
Since the Islanders have little deadline cap space and they would need to make some roster moves for this trade to work, Mittelstadt’s productivity and more cost-effective price, among other variables, should make him an attractive option for New York. Plus, he will be a restricted free agent following the season, setting the stage that he could remain in Long Island for at least a few more seasons.
While not necessarily known for his defensive capabilities, Mittelstadt also isn’t a liability when his team doesn’t have the puck. Dating back to October 2022, he has 83 takeaways, so his willingness to get a stick on the puck could disrupt the opposition's plays for a team that ranks 25th in goals allowed with 195.
The Islanders still have an ailing power play, and Mittelstadt has been a solid puzzle piece on the Sabres man advantage over the last season-and-a-half.
Casey Mittelstadt could be the missing piece in Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Jets can afford to bring in Casey Mittelstadt, and arguably the best defensive team in the league would get a major boost from his presence. Few opponents have figured out how to score on the Jets, but they still lag behind the league average offensively, scoring just 172 goals, which ranks 20th in the league.
One major reason came from Kyle Connor missing so much time with an injury, but even with Connor back in the lineup, the Jets have not been all-world when in the offensive zone. Therefore, few teams should be bigger shoppers at the deadline than Winnipeg. Bringing in Sean Monahan was a solid move, but with just five points in eight games, he’s not transforming anyone offensively.
Mittelstadt, however, has the ability to give the Jets scoring a significant boost, whether he’s taking the puck to the net or passing it to an open linemate. And when you look at the 25-year-old’s possession metrics, they show us that Mittelstadt’s presence has not just helped put others in prime position to score, but to put the puck in the back of the net.
At even strength, the team’s shooting percentage is 13.2 percent, with Mittelstadt on the ice, and it’s 12.9 at 5-on-5. To put things into perspective, these are his highest numbers since his six-game trial in 2017-18.
One former Sabre worked well for Vegas; what’s one more?
The Vegas Golden Knights have some deadline cap space, and since they are nowhere near the dominant force they were last season, few organizations need to step up and make a trade more than the 2023 Stanley Cup Champions.
Vegas and Buffalo have a history working with one another, as about two-and-a-half years ago, the former traded away Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and other assets for Jack Eichel. And in Eichel’s first full season with the Knights, he hoisted the Stanley Cup.
Since history shows us that former Sabres are pretty good at helping Vegas win championships, why not try to bring Mittelstadt to town? Eichel knows Mittelstadt well, and given the latter’s emergence over the past two seasons, someone like Vegas could bring him in, and he would immediately help the Knights scoring units.
Through 58 games this season, Mittelstadt leads the Sabres with 44 points, and he’s sixth in goals scored with 13. While Mittelstadt isn’t an elite scorer, his 103 points in his last 140 games and plus-4 rating show us he can step in and become a productive depth piece for a championship-caliber team.
Vegas also has quite a few assets they could send off to Kevyn Adams, and once again, it would be a trade with the potential to work well for both teams.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 25th)