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

[joshjull]

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.

I don't see that happening. Adams has referred to him as core piece a few times and he has emerged as an important part of the roster.

The argument you’re making for the trade though is just….... You clearly decided first he should be traded for a dman. Then backtracked to find justification.

Adams views him as a key piece, not drafting him is irrelevant. How does he become the “odd man out”? To who? He will be one of our top 3 centers, can play anywhere on the top 9 and most importantly any spot on the top line. I fail to see how he becomes the odd man out. No one in our forward prospect pool will be in a position to supplant Mitts.

Then there is the terrible asset management angle to such a trade proposal. Especially with what we have coming on defense (R. Johnson/Novikov/Komarov) and and still not knowing how Clifton will fit in yet.

 

[Jim Bob]

I don't see that happening. Adams has referred to him as core piece a few times and he has emerged as an important part of the roster.

The argument you’re making for the trade though is just….... You clearly decided first he should be traded for a dman. Then backtracked to find justification.

Adams views him as a key piece, not drafting him is irrelevant. How does he become the “odd man out”? To who? He will be one of our top 3 centers, can play anywhere on the top 9 and most importantly any spot on the top line. I fail to see how he becomes the odd man out. No one in our forward prospect pool will be in a position to supplant Mitts.

Then there is the terrible asset management angle to such a trade proposal. Especially with what we have coming on defense (R. Johnson/Novikov/Komarov) and and still not knowing how Clifton will fit in yet.

I think Krebs is more likely to be a trade piece than Mitts. Thompson-Cozens-Mitts as the top three centers will likely be too good to break up.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I think Krebs is more likely to be a trade piece than Mitts. Thompson-Cozens-Mitts as the top three centers will likely be too good to break up.

Krebs' energy and enthusiasm is infectious, but I don't see him as a top 9 option over Mitts or the other wingers coming up in the next couple years. He's not the first roster player that should be traded (Olofsson, Jost, Bryson, Jokiharju, Comrie or UPL), but he's the one roster player that could be traded in a deal for a true top-4 D-man...if KA ever goes that route.

 

[Jim Bob]

Krebs' energy and enthusiasm is infectious, but I don't see him as a top 9 option over Mitts or the other wingers coming up in the next couple years. He's not the first roster player that should be traded (Olofsson, Jost, Bryson, Jokiharju, Comrie or UPL), but he's the one roster player that could be traded in a deal for a true top-4 D-man...if KA ever goes that route.

Krebs could be a piece that helps them in any area of need that Adams might try and address next summer.

EJ, VO, Girgensons, Okposo, and Jost are all UFAs this summer. There will be roster spots that open up and Adams will have a variety of potential options. It will be interesting to see if Adams adjusts his approach next summer or if he just sticks with the patient approach he has taken so far.

 

[elchud]

6 x 6.25

 

[Jim Bob]

6 x 6.25

I doubt his agent has any interest in that deal.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Do we know it Adams and co reached out to his reps to talk about an extension? I know earlier in the summer Chad mentioned it but don't know for certain.

 

[Jim Bob]

Do we know it Adams and co reached out to his reps to talk about an extension? I know earlier in the summer Chad mentioned it but don't know for certain.

Adams has talked about how he has reached out to Power's agent multiple times, including today.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Adams has talked about how he has reached out to Power's agent multiple times, including today.

Thats awesome to hear but I'm talking about Mittelstadt..

 

[Jim Bob]

Thats awesome to hear but I'm talking about Mittelstadt..

It has seemed that Dahlin was priority 1 for an extension, then Power, and then Mitts (maybe).

I won't be shocked if Mitts were like Cozens last year who got his extension almost out of nowhere mid-season (he signed on Feb 7th).

 

[Puppa2Miller]

I am confused here: "they want Tyson Jost back"????

 

[Jim Bob]

I am confused here: "they want Tyson Jost back"????

That comment is from late June.

It's the last time I saw someone mention Adams talking about signing Mitts to an extension.

 

[Puppa2Miller]

That comment is from late June.

It's the last time I saw someone mention Adams talking about signing Mitts to an extension.

That makes sense. I was skimming and assumed it was a quote from today.

 

[Dingo44]

Right now? Our best forward for sure.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[DapperCam]

Should have signed him this summer. Now the price just keeps going up. If he plays like this all season (P/GP over the last 25 games) we will have to offer him the Cozens contract, 7x7.

Maybe he’ll cool off a bit and we can get him for a bargain

 

[HaNotsri]

Should have signed him this summer. Now the price just keeps going up. If he plays like this all season (P/GP over the last 25 games) we will have to offer him the Cozens contract, 7x7.

Maybe he’ll cool off a bit and we can get him for a bargain

7x7 probably is that bargain now.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Sabres stay patient with a player's development, and are eventually rewarded. Funny how that works.

Remember when we were all squawking about the baby-fat rookie who couldn't wait to get out on the golf course with his buds in MN instead of making PRs on his squat all summer?

 

[Jacob582]

Sabres stay patient with a player's development, and are eventually rewarded. Funny how that works.

Remember when we were all squawking about the baby-fat rookie who couldn't wait to get out on the golf course with his buds in MN instead of making PRs on his squat all summer?

In all honesty, how many teams have been this patient with a 1st rounder?

D+5/6!

 

[joshjull]

In all honesty, how many teams have been this patient with a 1st rounder?

D+5/6!

Kakko is in his D+5 year. Laf is in his D+4 year, which is the year Mitts started to break out. They both have higher draft pedigree than Mitts.

I’m curious why you think this even matters though. We switched GMs after Mitts D+3 season. Adams first year as GM is when Mitts broke out at the end of the Covid season when he was on pace for 25+goals 50+points (in about 20ms or so). Why would Adams give up on him because of injuries the following season? I know fans did because he was such a whipping boy for this forum and Sabre twitter.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Assuming we can't get a great bargain on Mitts long term, I think the Sabres probably try to pursue a 3-year deal somewhere in teh 6-7M range - similar to what Reinhart got from Florida a couple years ago. This allows them to address it again when Skinner's contract is up and in the context of several other ELC's that will be potentially expiring around then (Benson, Kulich, Savoie, Rosen, maybe Ostlund). I'm not sure we can afford 7-8+ long term for him right now, with other re-ups coming (Quinn/Peterka).

The end of Skinner's contract will be a big pivot point this team plans the next few contracts around.

 

[Dubi Doo]

You can put this man between any two wingers, and he'd look good. Well, except Asplund and Olofsson. That was too much suckage for Mitts to handle.

 

[dire wolf]

I'm really liking his game these days. Not just the points, but he has become strong on the walls, protects the puck like a beast, and has a great defensive stick on his backchecks. Definitely a core piece moving forward in my book.

 

[Dirty Dog]

No I'm genuinely curious because I think Mittelstadt becoming a regular contributor is a long shot. Typically late bloomers will fill another role (Copp/Couterier come to mind) successfully and offense comes later. So they are still contributing even if they aren't racking up points, so they continue to get ice time while that part of their game develops.

I think Mittelstadt will be a pretty rare case if he does work out. An undersized skill guy who isn't producing won't continue to get a roster spot after so long. The only real comp that seems like a real parallel is Josh Bailey. So I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Hey, interested in your thoughts on Mitts. You were very outspoken against his future on the team and argued relentlessly that Mitts becoming a regular contributing NHLer would be unprecedented.

Have you come around, or still have doubts?

I want him signed long term personally

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Should have signed him this summer. Now the price just keeps going up. If he plays like this all season (P/GP over the last 25 games) we will have to offer him the Cozens contract, 7x7.

Maybe he’ll cool off a bit and we can get him for a bargain

I suspect he wanted to bet on himself