SAN JOSE, Calif. – Hours before taking the ice in Los Angeles early this week for his 246th game in the NHL, Casey Mittelstadt listened carefully when reminded of the numerous challenges he’s encountered over the past four years with the Buffalo Sabres.
“I think anyone would be lying if they sat here and said that you don't think about that,” said Mittelstadt, now 24 years old and almost six years removed from his selection eighth overall at the 2017 draft. “I think about that.”
Sabres prospect and University of Minnesota defenseman Ryan Johnson will have to decide if he wants to join the organization that drafted him or seek an opportunity elsewhere.
Mittelstadt doesn’t use this as an excuse or crutch. To fend off any potential frustration over the years, Mittelstadt has remembered what his father, Tom, has repeated over the years: “Perseverance always wins.”
The reality, though, is that Mittelstadt’s development was disrupted by factors that were often out of his control. He was rushed into a prominent role as a rookie second-line center in 2018-19 because the Sabres traded Ryan O’Reilly and Patrik Berglund departed a month into the season.
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Mittelstadt spent most of his second season in Rochester and improved his game to the point that he was on the cusp of a promotion to Buffalo when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down professional sports across the globe.
The abbreviated 2020-21 season began with Mittelstadt on the Sabres’ taxi squad. He appeared in only seven of the club’s first 22 games. It wasn’t until Don Granato took over as interim coach that Mittelstadt was given a legitimate opportunity, and he finished the season with nine goals and 17 points over the final 22 games.
A lingering injury limited Mittelstadt to only 40 games and impacted his performance for much of last season after a training camp in which he was the Sabres’ best player. Yet, Mittelstadt didn’t relent. His work, and the patience of Granato, is paying off during the club’s pursuit of a playoff spot.
Entering their game Saturday in San Jose, Mittelstadt had been among the Sabres’ most productive players over the past several weeks. Since Dec. 29, he’s tied for third on the team with 16 points, 13 of which have come at even strength. He’s effective on the forecheck and creating opportunities for linemates. Mittelstadt is far from satisfied, though.
“I think last year was probably the hard one for me, just getting hurt,” he said. “I feel like I had so much momentum from the year before, and to miss a lot of time, I think, more than anything, you just miss games. You play and learn and get better. I do think maybe a little bit at the beginning of the year, towards now, I look back, I feel like ... I'm going to so many better areas, getting the puck in better spots, just feeling and thinking the game a lot better than maybe at the beginning of the year.
“So, the reps have been huge. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. It was one thing after another. My dad always says keep persevering. … So, I'm going to keep working hard and see where it takes me.”
Finally, 20 days after their last victory, the Sabres experienced the elation and joy of defeating an opponent.
Mittelstadt doesn’t need to be told that he needs to shoot more often. He hears it all the time from his coaches, and he tends to get frustrated with his own propensity to pass the puck rather than take advantage of a lane to the net.
Mittelstadt has shown that his shot is a useful weapon. In the Sabres’ first game out of the All-Star break, he unleashed a wrist shot that beat Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom at the far post.
On Wednesday in Anaheim, Mittelstadt collected a pass from Peyton Krebs to enter the offensive zone and bolted to the right circle. Mittelstadt skated backward to avoid the defenseman and surveyed his passing options before snapping the puck over the glove of goalie Lukas Dostal to help the Sabres escape the second period with a 4-3 lead.
“I want to shoot the puck more. Trust me,” he said with a laugh. “I think everyone tells me that. I'm still working on it. Coaches have been on me pretty good about it.”
According to Natural Stat Trick, Mittelstadt ranks fourth on the Sabres in expected goals for percentage and fifth in on-ice shot differential in 5-on-5 situations over the past 21 games. Simply put, the club is generating more chances than its opponent when Mittelstadt is on the ice. But he’s 10th on the team in shots on goal during that span, despite receiving more ice time per game than all but four forwards.
The most experienced players on the roster are urging the youngest in the group to not ride the rollercoaster of emotions. Nothing can change past results, so the Sabres’ focus was on preparing for their game Wednesday night in Anaheim against the Ducks.
Mittelstadt joked that part of the issue was skating on a line with Victor Olofsson, who had 10 goals in 14 games before the All-Star Break, because he wanted to defer to the hot hand. But it is also the product of where Mittelstadt is gaining possession of the puck. Most of his work has been below the hashmarks in the offensive zone because he’s been effective in winning battles to help the Sabres gain more time around the opponent’s net. He’ll then start the cycle by passing to a defenseman or a forward such as Olofsson to set up a shot attempt.
“I think he's always been really good at protecting the puck, and now he's adding it in his board work,” Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said. “It’s something that he's very skilled at. He's really, really good at baiting, and reading pressure and where it's coming from, and able to put the pucks in areas where it's going to create time and space for himself. And I know that he's put a ton of work in and happy to see it kind of paying off and he's getting some points.
"He's playing really well. He's been one of our best players over the last, you know, month or, you know, month and a half, and ... really underrated, but one of our best for sure. So, really happy for him."
Young forwards, particularly natural centermen, earn their draft positioning with their playmaking ability and need to learn how to be selfish. This was the case with Mittelstadt, but he acknowledged that he needs to get to scoring areas. Too often, he finds himself on the perimeter looking to pass, rather than attacking.
It was one of the issues during Mittelstadt's slow start to the season. He had six even-strength points in 38 games. His ice time remained consistent because he was winning faceoffs and making an impact on one of the league's best power plays. His effectiveness on the forecheck and playmaking helped the Sabres' second unit become one of the team's strengths. Thirteen of his 33 points have been on the power play in 53 games this season. He's been among their best players at 5-on-5 since late December, but he has to maintain that level of play and continue to improve.
“We watch the NHL every night, every day, every team in the league, and there's not many players that can hang on and extend possession as well as Casey Mittelstadt,” Granato said. “He is elite in that area. Now the other areas, I want him to shoot the puck more. … Everybody wants him to shoot the puck more, even including himself, if you talk to him. He's going to identify better with areas that he can change his game, as the way he has played his game to massive success. And now he has to tweak it, change it to fall better in line with the NHL and playing every day in the NHL in a higher role.
No one involved with the Sabres expected Peterka and fellow rookie winger Jack Quinn to have a seamless transition to the NHL. Both have made remarkable plays, but they’ve endured through some difficult games.
“He's going to do it. There's no question in my mind and his determination, his competitiveness and skill. He’s still a young guy in the process of that. You don't snap your fingers for these things, but I like the way he's working on it.”
Mittelstadt has made strides defensively, as illustrated by his plus-3 rating in 5-on-5 situations since Dec. 29. It's not easy to be consistent in the middle of the season. It's a grind. The Sabres had 15 games in 28 days last month. So, it's notable that he's shown improvement. It's a sign that he's learned how to manage the inevitable ebbs and flows of an 82-game season. In previous years, a bad game or week would have sent him down a “mental spiral,” which only made matters worse.
There's no benefit to dwelling on a poor performance, Mittelstadt said. He'll take important lessons from the coaching staff, then work in practice to address those areas. And despite the slow start, Mittelstadt is on pace for 50 points while skating on what's essentially the Sabres' third line. He's an important source of secondary scoring for one of the top offensive teams in the NHL.
Mittelstadt's draft position creates difficult expectations, though. Fans look at other players in his draft year and make comparisons. That sort of pressure can take a toll on the most experienced NHLers, let alone someone who entered the league as a teenager.
It's no secret that general manager Kevyn Adams is still identifying the core players who will be in Buffalo long term. Mittelstadt isn't a restricted free agent until the summer of 2024, so there's time for him to show the Sabres that he should be part of that group.
"I feel like I've done a better job this year just going home, going to bed, get to the next day and let's keep moving forward," Mittelstadt said. "I think that helps a lot. I think it's just getting older and learning. But at the same time, continuing to work hard hard. You want to stay consistent and, obviously, that's what we're working on. I feel like over the last 20 games or so, it's been definitely more consistent and, overall, better play."
