Casey Mittelstadt's trip to a specialist Thursday included some bad news.
Mittelstadt, a 23-year-old center, underwent "successful" surgery on an undisclosed, upper-body injury Friday morning and faces an uncertain timeline to return, coach Don Granato told reporters. Granato added that he expects Mittelstadt will play again sometime this season.
"We'll know more – we don't have the timetable yet from the doctors," said Granato. "We'll share that as soon as we do."
This is the second time this season that Mittelstadt will be out long term. He missed 21 games after suffering an upper-body injury in the Sabres' season-opening win over Montreal.
Mittelstadt returned to the Sabres' lineup last Thursday in Florida and suffered another injury during his third game back with the team. Mittelstadt limped down the tunnel in the third period of a 2-0 loss to the Ducks on Tuesday in KeyBank Center.
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Granato would not say if this latest ailment is a recurrence of the injury that kept Mittelstadt out for six weeks. It's a significant blow to the Sabres' short-term prospects and Mittelstadt's development.
Mittelstadt was the Sabres' top player during training camp, emerging as the club's first-line center and asserting himself as a potential replacement for Jack Eichel on the first power-play unit. Mittelstadt has become a leader in the dressing room and appeared ready to provide consistent offense for Granato.
Mittelstadt thrived under Granato last spring, totaling nine goals and 17 points while averaging 17:04 of ice time across 28 games. He also made an immediate impact upon returning to the lineup last week, scoring in his first game against Florida and skating 19-plus minutes in both games during the road trip.
The club will now lean on Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson to center the top forward lines, and it's unclear if the Sabres will soon recall a top prospect from Rochester to fill the sizable void in the lineup. Peyton Krebs, who was acquired in the Jack Eichel trade, entered Friday with seven points in his previous three games with the Amerks. The 20-year-old is the top center prospect in Rochester. Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka are dynamic playmakers on the wing.
Drafted eighth overall in 2017, Mittelstadt has totaled 28 goals and 62 points in 159 career NHL games. He worked his way from the taxi squad to the top six last season, earning a three-year, $7.5 million contract from the Sabres in September.
"We definitely all feel bad for him," Cozens said of Mittelstadt on Thursday. "He had a great second half of the season last year, and obviously, he worked really hard this summer and we were all excited to see what he was going to do this year. That first injury was tough and then obviously another injury. It’s disappointing to see."
Potential return
Goalie Malcolm Subban might be ready to start in net for the Sabres on Saturday night against Washington. Subban, who was acquired last week from Chicago, skated with the team Friday for the first time since he suffered what appeared to be a right leg injury in his debut against Carolina.
Subban, 27, allowed six goals on 25 shots against the Hurricanes last Saturday in PNC Arena. He has appeared in 83 NHL games, recording a 3.06 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
"Here's a guy that's had a lot of ups and downs in his career, but that's an accumulation of experience," said Granato. "We hope to give him the net when he's ready and to see if all that experience can help him establish himself here. It would be great for him to do that. We'd be as happy as him if that can happen."
Another update
Defenseman Robert Hagg missed a third consecutive game Friday with a bothersome injury, but he's expected to return Saturday against Washington, said Granato. Hagg, 26, has 52 blocked shots in 23 games this season. He's a pending unrestricted free agent and was acquired from Philadelphia in the Rasmus Ristolainen trade.
