Confirmed Signing with Link: [BUF] Casey Mittelstadt re-signed with the Sabres (3 yrs, $2.5M AAV)

[FlamesFan18]

Not one of those deals you can really lose on since the dollars are still pretty small and term isnt awful. Low risk high reward

 

[LongWayDown37]

This feels high for what he has produced. But the Sabres have mountains of cap space, even before an Eichel trade and they can't afford to not have a (hopefully) good young center...

 

[Jacob582]

Geeze

overpayment

Tolvanens deal looks like a massive steal now

Maybe. Deal is slightly more than Pavel Zacha's 2nd deal.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Yikes, he stinks.

Did you sniffed him?

 

[BruinsBtn]

That's a good deal

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

He is an RFA after the deal expires per CapFriendly.

Buffalo Sabres Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

One year of team control or two after this?

 

[haseoke39]

Seems high, but not absurd. Hard to get people to sign in Buffalo these days.

 

[Patagonia]

Congrats to BUF!

Decent deal. Slight overpay due to the longer term. Comparable to Jost 2 years @ $2M per.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Those 20 odd games under Granato got him paid, modestly but paid nonetheless. Still should be a decent player and they don’t have a lot of options. There’s also a chance he progresses and makes this a steal. Team and player needed to do this.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

One year of team control or two after this?

Looks like two years of control, subject to arbitration. Great deal, if that's the case. Downside risk is minimal.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

This contract will be easy to trade. Works out well for both Mittelstadt and the Sabres in the event that they want to move on from each other.

 

[Zman5778]

This contract will be easy to trade. Works out well for both Mittelstadt and the Sabres in the event that they want to move on from each other.

Likely not the case. Buffalo has put a bunch of time in working with Casey and Casey was one of the players (along with Dahlin and Cozens) who said "I want this to be my team" to management during exit interviews.

IMO, Casey knows he fell a bit flat in his off-ice preparation earlier in his career........but boy did he work his ass off during COVID, and it showed.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Likely not the case. Buffalo has put a bunch of time in working with Casey and Casey was one of the players (along with Dahlin and Cozens) who said "I want this to be my team" to management during exit interviews.

IMO, Casey knows he fell a bit flat in his off-ice preparation earlier in his career........but boy did he work his ass off during COVID, and it showed.

I have no doubt that he wants to stay there and he will hold his end of the deal, but things may not work out at all due to the terrible state of the organization.

If I told you 3 years that Eichel would get traded halfway through his 8 year deal, you wouldn't have believed it yet here we are.

 

[Irie]

Anyone that is claiming this is a bad deal didn't watch him play this year.

10 goals, 20 points in 40 games, and those stats look much better if you take out the Krueger coached games.

2.5 AAV is actually a pretty good deal for the Sabres..

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Anyone that is claiming this is a bad deal didn't watch him play this year.

10 goals, 20 points in 40 games, and those stats look much better if you take out the Krueger coached games.

2.5 AAV is actually a pretty good deal for the Sabres..

He got more time under Granato and better situations but he was looking better earlier in year too.

It's a total comment on idiot Krueger and his loyalty to Eakins that he wouldn't acknowledge.

What I noticed from Casey that I hadn't seen before was just a much better ability to protect the puck -- it was night and day. Not comparing him to Ryan O'Reilly, but #90's ability to protect puck (and steal it) are what separate him. You learn this or disappear quickly in NHL or find a minor role.

 

[JLewyB]

If he stagnates then we’re rebuilding for three years anyway so worth the risk

 

[Moose and Squirrel]

No need.

He hired Phil Kessel as his personal trainer.

so, it's not how BIG of a hotdog, but how many?

 

[Moose and Squirrel]

Those 20 odd games under Granato got him paid, modestly but paid nonetheless. Still should be a decent player and they don’t have a lot of options. There’s also a chance he progresses and makes this a steal. Team and player needed to do this.

sometimes ya just gotta let the kids play, make mistakes, learn, and grow

 

[mouz135]

Congrats

Now go and buy yourself a gym membership

Lmao, this gif never gets old.

 

[TehDoak]

Anyone that is claiming this is a bad deal didn't watch him play this year.

10 goals, 20 points in 40 games, and those stats look much better if you take out the Krueger coached games.

2.5 AAV is actually a pretty good deal for the Sabres..

I watched plenty of Sabres games.

He's getting paid for the 20 good games at the end of the season.

I have less issue with the AAV and more issue with the term.

I've got 130+ games that says he's not a NHLer and 25 games that says he might be OK.

Not sure how that gets you a 3 year deal, but Buffalo pretty much has zero leverage because they have no NHL centers once Eichel is moved other than Mittelstadt.

As a Sabres fan, I'm hoping he grows a ton this year. My guess is the 40-ish point range, but that will be with getting PP1 and high ozone starts.

 

[Djp]

not bad for 3 years is he UFA at the end?

he has a late yr birthday. Born in 1998 . Drafted in 2017

he signed after college but didn’t accrue a season but burned an ELC yr
Then fished 2 more ELC yrs
Had a 1 yr contract.
3 yr bridge to summer 2024
UFA summer 2025

 

[Irie]

I've got 130+ games that says he's not a NHLer and 25 games that says he might be OK.

This statement is such a terrible take due to lack of context that I almost feel it isn't even worth responding to.

Due to a ridiculous start to his NHL career, (near point per game brief stint after his first season in the NCAA), and a necessity due to awful depth in Buffalo, Mittelstadt was completely rushed. He was not physically ready for the NHL at 19, but played the bulk of his games in the league that year and finished with 25 points, and was visibly outmatched in most of them.

So you are judging the majority of your evaluation on that sample. That is really misguided.

Mittelstadt should NEVER have been in the NHL as a teenager, given his weak physical stature. He should have stayed another year in college, and then been given 1-2 years in the AHL before he even sniffed a call-up.

Buffalo's handling of him severely stunted his development and destroyed his confidence for almost two years.

I watched him last year, even before the points started to come, and I saw a more physically mature player that was starting to adjust to the speed of the NHL.

By the end of the season, I saw a young NHL player with a ton of upside at just 22 (still younger than most rookies even enter the NHL).

My concern is that Sabres management is once again about to pile way too much on their young, promising players and do their best to break them. Mittelstadt should NOT be playing first line center at 22, but that looks like it is their plan. Dahlin should NOT be playing Risto's role, he has shown he can't, but that looks like it is Buffalo's plan also.

The management of this team is criminally inept, but that aside, if Mittelstadt was sheltered on a second line, I'd expect huge strides from him this year. Unfortunately, if teams are throwing their top D pairs and shutdown lines out against him, he may not show the potential that we are all hoping for.

 

[threeVo]

This statement is such a terrible take due to lack of context that I almost feel it isn't even worth responding to.

Due to a ridiculous start to his NHL career, (near point per game brief stint after his first season in the NCAA), and a necessity due to awful depth in Buffalo, Mittelstadt was completely rushed. He was not physically ready for the NHL at 19, but played the bulk of his games in the league that year and finished with 25 points, and was visibly outmatched in most of them.

So you are judging the majority of your evaluation on that sample. That is really misguided.

Mittelstadt should NEVER have been in the NHL as a teenager, given his weak physical stature. He should have stayed another year in college, and then been given 1-2 years in the AHL before he even sniffed a call-up.

Buffalo's handling of him severely stunted his development and destroyed his confidence for almost two years.

I watched him last year, even before the points started to come, and I saw a more physically mature player that was starting to adjust to the speed of the NHL.

By the end of the season, I saw a young NHL player with a ton of upside at just 22 (still younger than most rookies even enter the NHL).

My concern is that Sabres management is once again about to pile way too much on their young, promising players and do their best to break them. Mittelstadt should NOT be playing first line center at 22, but that looks like it is their plan. Dahlin should NOT be playing Risto's role, he has shown he can't, but that looks like it is Buffalo's plan also.

The management of this team is criminally inept, but that aside, if Mittelstadt was sheltered on a second line, I'd expect huge strides from him this year. Unfortunately, if teams are throwing their top D pairs and shutdown lines out against him, he may not show the potential that we are all hoping for.

Sabres are insulating Mitts with a 21 year old Cozens. What could go wrong?

 

[bleedgreen]

Good deal, he was a much better player this season.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

sometimes ya just gotta let the kids play, make mistakes, learn, and grow

True. Granato looks like a good coach for these kids. I hope Buffalo does well on an Eichel trade and adds a few young solid players to Cozens, Dahlin and Mittlestatd