Player Discussion Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th) #37 - Part III

[Doug Prishpreed]

Defending around the crease he had the tendency to lock on to a single player and take himself out of position, which opened up too many passing lanes.

Isn't that like the easiest thing to fix?

 

[Irie]

Isn't that like the easiest thing to fix?

Reading the opposition and learning defensive positioning based on that situation in the D-zone is one of the things young centers struggle with the most, so I would say probably not.

*edit* re-reading that, it sounded condescending, which it was not at all meant to. Sorry.

It is something that young centers really struggle to become solid at though.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Reading the opposition and learning defensive positioning based on that situation in the D-zone is one of the things young centers struggle with the most, so I would say probably not.

Chasing around your man when you're assigned to cover the net front is different than "learning positioning in the D zone," which encompasses a lot more. You're describing two different things.

 

[Matt Ress]

Throwing out the quarterly, "we still worried about Mitts?"
- Thanks. See you in September.

I know it's not that simple and the eye test is there along with some underlying stats but we haven't seen it consistently. With his fundamentals I see that as a good thing in that he's not done developing.

 

[Irie]

Chasing around your man when you're assigned to cover the net front is different than "learning positioning in the D zone," which encompasses a lot more. You're describing two different things.

Sorry, I edited my post, but after you responded, hopefully you saw it. It did not come across like I meant it to,

As for the covering vs chasing, it is more of a read issue.

Watching Mitts, when the other team is set up, he is usually helping out to defend the crease, but he will just blanket the other teams center, when he often should read the situation and realize he has to cover an area and shift to close passing lanes, not just neutralize his assignment.

His D-zone defensive acumen as a center is not very strong, although his effort and ability to defend is very good, he just lacks that special gift that effective defensive centers all have - the defensive hockey IQ that allows them to read and anticipate. It is not a common skill.

So as a center, I like him in more of an offensive role, not being relied on to be the shut-down guy. His defensive abilities are very well suited for a bottom six winger imo, but his offensive upside makes me feel like he isn't being fully utilized in that role.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Sorry, I edited my post, but after you responded, hopefully you saw it. It did not come across like I meant it to,

As for the covering vs chasing, it is more of a read issue.

Watching Mitts, when the other team is set up, he is usually helping out to defend the crease, but he will just blanket the other teams center, when he often should read the situation and realize he has to cover an area and shift to close passing lanes, not just neutralize his assignment.

His D-zone defensive acumen as a center is not very strong, although his effort and ability to defend is very good, he just lacks that special gift that effective defensive centers all have - the defensive hockey IQ that allows them to read and anticipate. It is not a common skill.

So as a center, I like him in more of an offensive role, not being relied on to be the shut-down guy. His defensive abilities are very well suited for a bottom six winger imo, but his offensive upside makes me feel like he isn't being fully utilized in that role.

Then he's just a one-way playmaking winger who doesn't score much? A left-handed Zuccarrelo?

 

[Irie]

Then he's just a one-way playmaking winger who doesn't score much? A left-handed Zuccarrelo?

I think maybe we are looking at this the wrong way. Instead of focusing on his limitations and trying to find the best place to fit him in, we should probably just view him as a versatile player that can fill multiple roles depending on what the team currently needs.

His next contract may be telling as to where the team sees him playing long-term. If he is getting top 6 center money, playing him on the third-line wing may not financially make sense. But if he comes in on a team friendly deal, having a guy on a good cap hit that you can slot into multiple spots is extremely useful. Krebs is somewhat in that same boat now imo too. Before the world championships, I think his mid-term role was fairly set, but watching him there I am at a loss as to where he might be best suited to play this upcoming season.

Having guys that can play up and down the lineup is a great thing to have .... unless you are paying them all to play near the top of the lineup. The one thing that may be working in Adams' favor is the large predicted rise of the cap in the near future. I think hanging on to both Mitts and Krebs and getting them locked in to medium term deals at fair rates will give the team a ton of options moving forward and will set the Sabres up much better than trying to fill slots with vets via the UFA market, which I'm affraid is going to be a ridiculously over-priced auction when the cap jump arrives.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Then he's just a one-way playmaking winger who doesn't score much? A left-handed Zuccarrelo?

Zuc is left handed.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Zuc is left handed.

Sorry, right wing

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Sorry, right wing

Mitts played left wing after the Jost claim. So that doesn’t work either

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Mitts played left wing after the Jost claim. So that doesn’t work either

Yes it does -- Mitts is a LW version of Zuccarello, who plays on the right. The opposite side as Zuccs, is that better?

 

[Aladyyn]

Is Mats Zuccarello supposed to be a bad outcome?

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Royal Report pumping out highlights

 

[MarkusKetterer]

 

[HaNotsri]

They just released his mugshot:

 

[Dingo44]

 

[beerme1]

View attachment 749770Hey Sabres social media, do better. Please!

 

[debaser66]

While i hated him during the Botts area which was not his fault.
I really started to like him since Granato took over.
I hope he stays a Sabre for a long time.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

No you have to trade him now before he puts up big numbers and prices himself out of KA comfort margin. Can't have him finishing his final RFA season anywhere near a PPG. At the very least gave Donnie G staple him to the PK and 4th line

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

Sorry, I edited my post, but after you responded, hopefully you saw it. It did not come across like I meant it to,

As for the covering vs chasing, it is more of a read issue.

Watching Mitts, when the other team is set up, he is usually helping out to defend the crease, but he will just blanket the other teams center, when he often should read the situation and realize he has to cover an area and shift to close passing lanes, not just neutralize his assignment.

His D-zone defensive acumen as a center is not very strong, although his effort and ability to defend is very good, he just lacks that special gift that effective defensive centers all have - the defensive hockey IQ that allows them to read and anticipate. It is not a common skill.

So as a center, I like him in more of an offensive role, not being relied on to be the shut-down guy. His defensive abilities are very well suited for a bottom six winger imo, but his offensive upside makes me feel like he isn't being fully utilized in that role.

Mitts is somebody that frustrated me to no end until the back half of last year. But the way he ended the season he was firmly a top 6 forward IMO. Mitts is our best defensive C in our top 3 lines.

As a team our defensive philosophy sucks.

 

[zuikan]

I don't know his contract situation but better extend it now. He's liable to bust out big time this year.

 

[jamienwalker]

Mitts should be signed long term. 8 years.

 

[DapperCam]

I think Mitts is going to have a big year. He ended the year as one of our best performing players (maybe the best?), and he looked good in preseason by my eyes.

 

[toddkaz]

I can see Adams trading Mittelstadt for defense in the next offseason. He isn't an Adams draft pick, we have plenty of talent in the pipeline and he seems like a perfect candidate to make a trade.

I like Mittelstadt but if there is an odd man out to get us a top 4 defender I put my money on him. He will have value and a 3-4 defender seems about right.

 

[elchud]

We should use Mittsy as a bargaining chip. If Dahlin agrees to 6 years x 10.5, Mitts also gets a 6 year deal.