Let’s face it: Things haven’t worked out well for Casey Mittelstadt since he joined forces with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Company. Yes, Mittelstadt remains fourth on the team with nine goals and 29 points, and he’s proven to be an adequate playmaker in Denver.
But that doesn’t mean he’s been an outstanding fit. Mittelstadt still has an abysmal minus-14, a 40.7 faceoff win percentage, and his on-ice save percentage at even strength is just 85.0. No, life hasn’t been easy for Mittelstadt since he left the Sabres for the Avalanche, and now, Zach Berta of The Hockey Writers has written a piece talking about the what-ifs. What-ifs as in, potentially bringing Mittelstadt back to Buffalo.
Naturally, if a former Sabre may land elsewhere, primarily to a team that could be selling if the Avs were to buy, then there’s a chance Mittelstadt ends up back with the Blue and Gold. Now, you know my thoughts on this: I don’t want to see Mittelstadt back in Buffalo.
For one, he proved to be a good fit with Don Granato, but can we say the same about Lindy Ruff? We know Mittelstadt isn’t physical, even if he can be gritty at times. Plus, he never played defense consistently well enough to be a major factor when his team doesn’t have the puck.
Would Casey Mittelstadt seriously wind up back with the Sabres?
All of that said, there would nonetheless be some bright spots should Mittelstadt return to Buffalo. Regardless of the system, Mittelstadt proved to have good chemistry with teammates, and there wouldn’t be as much of a learning curve if he returned.
Secondly, he was one of the better playmakers in Buffalo for about a year and a half, and if the Sabres are going to look like a respectable hockey team again, it’s going to require a playmaker. They’re in that “score four-plus goals a game to win” mode again, whether we want to admit it or not, and Mittelstadt will get the puck to scorers like Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, guaranteed.
Mittelstadt is still just in his age-26 season, so if Kevyn Adams wanted to keep building around his young core, why not go with a youngster who’s familiar with the top players? Hey, if Adams traded, say, Jason Zucker to Colorado for Mittelstadt and kept Bowen Byram, then the Sabres more than won that trade last year.
So, would Adams seriously consider bringing Mittelstadt back to Buffalo? I wouldn’t fully endorse it, but it’s also something I wouldn’t rule out. It would be a move I’d grade poorly in an instant reaction, but I’d leave enough room to say it could work in the Sabres favor in hindsight.
Either way, it would pique my curiosity, and I’m sure a contingent of fans out there wouldn’t mind seeing No. 37 back in a blue and gold uniform.