Casey Mittelstadt - Here to Stay?

[bob_sauve28]

I was always willing to wait on Casey, he’s young and you just never know. But I did not have much confidence he would blossom. I just didn’t see anything to hang onto there. But he is showing skill. That shot last night was impressive. 

 

Kudos to those out there that defended him! You had more faith than I did. 

 

 

[Norcal]

Casey is coming along nicely.

He may end up being a guy who could slot up or down the C spine as needed.

[Weave]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

This past week or two is the first time we have seen Casey translating the style of game he showed as a junior to NHL rinks: the pace, and the hands. He has the ability to bury pucks like he did with his wrister last night, he just wasn't able to get open to use it.

He has looked like an NHL player, but he hasn't sustained anything yet.

It will be interesting to see how good of an NHL player he can be. Luke Adam? Derek Plante?

Yup.  Calling him ready and able is a bit of irrational exuberance.  5 games is a small sample size.  

[Zamboni]

It also points to how impatient some (not all) fans are with development.

I think sometimes they get caught up in ... “well you were a first round pick, so you should be able to step right in and contribute at the start of the following season”. And then hate on the player, when those elevated and unrealistic expectations aren’t met.
That broad brush of expectation rarely works. Is it really taking him longer to develop into an decent NHL player than the players in his draft year who were selected right around him?

 

2017 draft

How is Cody Glass doing (6th pick)?

How is Lias Andersson doing (7th pick)?

How is Michael Rasmussen doing (9th pick)?

How is Owen Tippett doing (10th pick)?

I’m glad to see things seem to be clicking better for Casey. Hope he takes another small step in the coming months.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Zamboni

[Weave]

I don’t see that ad the case with Mitts.  He demonstrably went backwards for 2 seasons.  There were tons of red flags not associated with impatience.  Hopefully he’s turned a corner.  Frankly, the team needs him to arrive.

[PerreaultForever]

One could argue that in his case we have (perhaps accidentally) developed him the right way. Kreuger forced him to play defensively and we stepped him back down last year and made him sit and watch and thus he maybe lost a little of his privileged attitude and started to work harder and now with Granato opening things up he's more comfortable, but also a more complete player. 

Time will tell if his old habits and attitudes reassert themselves or if he will stay a complete player and continue to grow into that. Too soon to tell. 

[Archie Lee]

The combination of the pull-up, the high-pick, the top-prospect rating, being put on the NHL roster too soon and some folks jumping to conclusions about a young-man's instagram postings, resulted in conclusions being drawn prematurely, I think.

Mittelstadt looks to me like he's on target to be a solid middle-six option for years to come.  

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

47 minutes ago, Weave said:

I don’t see that ad the case with Mitts.  He demonstrably went backwards for 2 seasons.  There were tons of red flags not associated with impatience.  Hopefully he’s turned a corner.  Frankly, the team needs him to arrive.

No he didn’t.  He was a rookie two years ago and his production was a little better in the second half.  Last season RK beat him up for 31 games destroying his confidence.  He went down and Chris Taylor fixed him in 39 games.  In 22 games this year Casey has been solid since game one and has improved as the season has progressed.  Once RK was fired Casey has been in the lineup more consistently and has blossomed.

[Broken Ankles]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No he didn’t.  He was a rookie two years ago and his production was a little better in the second half.  Last season RK beat him up for 31 games destroying his confidence.  He went down and Chris Taylor fixed him in 39 games.  In 22 games this year Casey has been solid since game one and has improved as the season has progressed.  Once RK was fired Casey has been in the lineup more consistently and has blossomed.

I think the implication is that the the preceding two years, while one officially his rookie year was worse that the short 7 game stint in 2017/18.  And comparatively, they were worse.   Much, much worse.  Statistically and as a general observation.   While I agree his play has improved  this season, I can’t agree with the bold.  And you would be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of this forum to agree with that statement.  I hope this trend continues but you know sometimes the spark with a new coach does not last. The Calgary Flames won Four of their first five games under Sutter and has now lost five of their last six.   Let’s see how he looks after April. 

[LTS]

Right now I see a player making many smart moves.  Holding the puck to let the ice open up, making slick little passes, all the things that go into the making of a solid NHL forward.

He's not all the way there, he still has his moments, but a few games ago he hauled his butt on a back check the likes you rarely see any player do and that spoke volumes to me about where his head is at.

It's the kind of break the Sabres need to be successful in the future.

[Thorner]

The pick itself has never really looked that bad - 2017 looks like such a weak draft for forwards, there aren't any glaring F names selected after him, tbh

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

The pick itself has never really looked that bad - 2017 looks like such a weak draft for forwards, there aren't any glaring F names selected after him, tbh

Necas and Suzuki

But if you look into their numbers, it lines up with when Mitts starting to become useful too in terms of age. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I think Tage and Mitts are benefitting from the current state of the Sabres. Both are playing better then in the past. Both have always had the skills to be in the NHL, but the head and body needed to get there. Do not think they are top 6 or borderline at best, but they are looking a lot better. Their strengths (Their shots mostly) have never changed. Just getting into their heads where to go to take them needs to get better. Both in my eyes are showing they can belong in the NHL but lets see them do it for 82 games.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, NJhopelessSabresfan66 said:

Their strengths (Their shots mostly) have never changed.

They've both learned how much dangling is too much. Both can still puckhandle but they've learned when enough is enough and time to pass to a teammate, or advance it down the ice.

[Kruppstahl]

21 hours ago, Norcal said:

Casey is coming along nicely.

He may end up being a guy who could slot up or down the C spine as needed.

His play has clearly improved but I just don't see it with him.  I'd like to trade him and see what we can get.

When you consider he could have been and should have been any one of Necas, Suzuki, Norris, Thomas, or Vilardi, he looks that much worse.

 

[Norcal]

2 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

His play has clearly improved but I just don't see it with him.  I'd like to trade him and see what we can get.

When you consider he could have been and should have been any one of Necas, Suzuki, Norris, Thomas, or Vilardi, he looks that much worse.

 

He has developed a little slowly and is not yet the player he can or should be but he is developing before our eyes right now. 

He's taken major strides this year and I don't think he's done yet. 

His development should help his value if he does get traded.

 

 

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

When you consider he could have been and should have been any one of Necas, Suzuki, Norris, Thomas, or Vilardi, he looks that much worse.

 

Kinda cherry-picking no?

Where are Glass, Tippett, Anderson and Rasmussen on your list, all of whom went before your bunch?

[Taro T]

On 4/4/2021 at 8:25 PM, Broken Ankles said:

I think the implication is that the the preceding two years, while one officially his rookie year was worse that the short 7 game stint in 2017/18.  And comparatively, they were worse.   Much, much worse.  Statistically and as a general observation.   While I agree his play has improved  this season, I can’t agree with the bold.  And you would be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of this forum to agree with that statement.  I hope this trend continues but you know sometimes the spark with a new coach does not last. The Calgary Flames won Four of their first five games under Sutter and has now lost five of their last six.   Let’s see how he looks after April. 

They were worse but he was HORRIBLY misused those 2 seasons.  He SHOULD have been centering a 3rd scoring line getting 4th line usage & minutes & being the high pivot on the 2nd PP unit.  Instead, he was way too often the 2C facing real competition.

He looked like a golden lab puppy chasing a ball when in his own end with no idea where the puck was going & even less idea of where he should be.  He was broken by the time he was benched & the demotion helped him get his confidence back.  Didn't watch his early games in Ra-cha-cha but the reports were he was bad.  But, by the time I was watching, he was playing well (though not crushing it) and finally wasn't lost in his own end.

Was a little surprised that he played wing here at 1st this season because he only played W here right after getting signed & was only played at C in Ra-cha-cha.  But with the limited role, he could finally figure out what he needed to do in his own end and now he's playing well at C.  Though, still believe at this point he'd be better served as the 4C but with no Eichel, Staal, nor Cozens that isn't an option & he isn't overmatched; he simply isn't quite up to what he can become.

[pi2000]

I like what I've seen from him recently, but i think him and Tage would benefit by playing one more full season in Roch next year.   

Let them kill it down there, solidify their confidence and develop as leaders together.  

They still need to work on the fine details of playing the pro game IMO.

[LGR4GM]

35 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

I like what I've seen from him recently, but i think him and Tage would benefit by playing one more full season in Roch next year.   

Let them kill it down there, solidify their confidence and develop as leaders together.  

They still need to work on the fine details of playing the pro game IMO.

They'll never clear waivers. Pretty sure Mitts will lose exemption and Tage already has. 

[Doohicksie]

12 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

His play has clearly improved but I just don't see it with him.  I'd like to trade him and see what we can get.

When you consider he could have been and should have been any one of Necas, Suzuki, Norris, Thomas, or Vilardi, he looks that much worse.

Nah.  I'll stick with Mitts.  We're just starting to see what he's got.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, pi2000 said:

I like what I've seen from him recently, but i think him and Tage would benefit by playing one more full season in Roch next year.   

Let them kill it down there, solidify their confidence and develop as leaders together.  

They still need to work on the fine details of playing the pro game IMO.

I think that ship has sailed.  They're here and they're starting to get it.  By the end of the season sending them back down will seem downright foolish.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Granato confirmed what many of us have seen and that is Casey is improving each game.  Another very good game including a sick pass on the first goal. 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Granato confirmed what many of us have seen and that is Casey is improving each game.  Another very good game including a sick pass on the first goal. 

It was Mittelstadt's best game as a Sabre.  And without the security blanket of having Hall carrying the puck, he actually took charge to a degree.  Probably getting caught up here, but IF he can continue building on his recent efforts, they'll be hard pressed to not pencil him in at 2C.  (The remaining games against Baahstan hopefully will be a test he can pass and will give us a good handle on whether he can play like this against the type of team they need to be able to compete against.)  Wouldn't that be nice to be able to adequately fill 2C internally this coming season? (Definitely getting caught up.)

Had Casey not hit the post on the PP, Dahlin never would've had the chance to make the highlight reel play at the line w/ both forwards on him to set Mitts up for the winner.  (Team players, both.  😉 )

[Scottysabres]

Send Mitts to Rochester f or a spell and let him develop, and magically he shows back up in Buffalo a more well rounded contributor. Who knew? Lol

Good for Mitts, looks like he's coming in to his own. Didn't catch the game last night, (school), but from the sounds of it, we may have found a solid youthful 3rd scoring line in Asplund, Mitts and Thompson. But I'll defer to y'alls assessment on that.