Buffalo Sabres: Tough to argue with selecting Casey Mittelstadt

While opinion on Casey Mittelstadt is influenced by your drafting philosophy, the Buffalo Sabres should reap the benefits long-term after picking the center.

As reported by WGR 550‘s Brayton Wilson, the Buffalo Sabres selected Casey Mittelstadt with the eighth overall pick in this year’s NHL draft. In the process, it brought up the age-old discussion of deciding between going with the best available player and drafting for need.

In that respect, let’s get the potential negatives out of the way. Those who prefer the latter philosophy, will no doubt be disappointed the Sabres didn’t address their biggest need – fixing the defense.

Further, in the grand scheme of things, the center position is probably the biggest strength on the Sabres’ roster. And yet, objectively speaking, it’s tough to argue with their decision to pick Mittelstadt.

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For a start, the 18-year old wasn’t even expected to still be available when it came time for the Sabres to make their choice. Ahead of the draft, Sabres Prospects‘ Kris Baker called him the third-best prospect, TSN ‘s Bob McKenzie ranked him sixth and Tip of the Tower‘s Austin Owens predicted he would be picked fifth.

One word that frequently came up to describe Mittelstadt’s offensive game, was “electric”. It is an enticing word, which refers to his combination of speed and skill.

Other common traits referred to included the Eden Praire, Minnesota native’s top-level hockey awareness and excellent puck skills. In addition, consider this scouting report from Elite Prospects‘ Curtis Joe:

"He can play a north-south game, and his transition game is already at an elite level. He’s a complete player with the predatory instincts necessary to succeed as a consistent and, perhaps, dominant point producer at the next level."

Understandably, this all still won’t be enough to convince those who believe the Sabres should have looked at other needs. However, while Mittelstadt can’t play on the blue line or in goal, he is a left-hand shot, whose versatility allows him to play on the wing.

At 6-foot-1 and around 200 pounds, the youngster already has decent size, although some critics will say he needs to work on his strength. However, he will be able to refine this area of his game in Minnesota, after committing to play for the Golden Golphers next season.

In that respect, there is a nice connection to Sabres’ new head coach Phil Housley, who also hails from the Minnesota area. Speaking to The Buffalo News and other members of the media, Mittlestadt was asked about playing for Housley:

"“I mean, yeah, that’s awesome”, said Mittelstadt. “I think — I just met him for the first time about five minutes ago, so being able to meet him was obviously an honor. Obviously he’s done pretty much everything you can in hockey, and just being from Minny is just kind of a cherry on top.”"

Certainly, it’s going to be interesting to see what lies ahead for Mittelstadt. However, if he has even half the career Housley enjoyed at the NHL level — albeit at a different position — he’s going to be okay.

*****

Other notes:

Ranked as the number three North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Sabres’ first high school selection in the opening round of the draft since 1983
First American picked in this year’s draft
30 points (13 goals & 17 assists) in 24 USHL games for Green Bay Gamblers

Next: 4 observations from the Sabres' 2017-18 schedule

What’s your take on the Sabres’ decision to pick Mittelstadt? Do you agree with the selection, or is there someone else you would have preferred from the available players? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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