Confirmed with Link: Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th) - Signed, #37

[Husko]

I actually love Mittlestadt, but never really expected him to be the pick. That being said a thought crossed my mind yesterday. Would anybody really be upset with this pick had Murray taken Serg or Chychrun last year. I certainly can't fault GMJB for going BPA in his first draft.

Nope

 

[Dubi Doo]

I assume you mean by trade. Taylor Hall only returned Adam Larsson. Defensemen are more valuable than forwards.

Right, but Hall is a winger and luckily for us we have a surplus of centers which are more valuable.

 

[Fly Boy]

Also I want D all day today. Still some decent guys left for the 2nd/3rd round. Wouldn't be too upset with getting one of Dipietro/Lukonen/Pettruzelli though.

 

[Chainshot]

Just for a measure of perspective, think back to 2013. Buffalo had a slew of defensemen but still too Ristolainen and Zadorov in the first round. Some of the complaints in here remind me of the complaints at that time and here we are, four years later with continuing need at defense even with that set of picks. They could've wound up with Valeri Nichushkin if the "popular" guy had been the pick. Let's see what happens and judge Middelstadt for what he is - a highly skilled, great skating player who is still years away from being part of the team.

 

[truthbluth]

I think there should be a moratorium on using terrible Chia trades as a basis for any argument.

And a blanket statement that D have more value than forwards is asinine. Who has more value McDavid or any D? Crosby or any D

Straw...Wait for it...Man. Nobody said, 'all D are more valuable than all F.' By relative talent, D are more valuable than forwards. Not just in Chia trades. Nashville traded it's 4th best D for a bona fide number 1 center. This is an observable fact, also common knowledge at this point. I didn't think anybody was even arguing this anymore.

 

[Uberpecker]

Yeah, by 'Sabres' I mean Sabres organization, including prospect depth. We will need D in 3-4 years, and you don't get high end ones of you don't draft them. This feels like a groundhog day.

Sure, but if you look at the 2016/17 top 40 dmen by TOI as well as the top 60 forwards by points, you find that roughly 50% of the dmen are former first rounders but almost 80% of the forwards.
Now, of course points and TOI are flawed ways of defining "high-end" respectively, but the point stands that it's way easier to get a high-end dman outside the 1st round than a high-end scoring forward.
There wasn't a clear-cut stud dman at #8, therefore I'm fine with the pick, as long as they go defense in the rounds to come.

 

[OkimLom]

Straw...Wait for it...Man. Nobody said, 'all D are more valuable than all F.' By relative talent, D are more valuable than forwards. Not just in Chia trades. Nashville traded it's 4th best D for a bona fide number 1 center. This is an observable fact, also common knowledge at this point. I didn't think anybody was even arguing this anymore.

Let's just ignore the value of that 4th Best Defenseman. Recent top 4 pick. Young cost controlled. On any other team, he's probably a top 2 defenseman.

 

[Montag DP]

I think he'll turn out to be a decent NHLer. You know, not someone with amazing stats or terrible stats, more like mittel stadts.

 

[Fly Boy]

I think he'll turn out to be a decent NHLer. You know, not someone with amazing stats or terrible stats, more like mittel stadts.

This isn't tumblr, get out.

 

[1TuchAnd1NoTuch]

I think he'll turn out to be a decent NHLer. You know, not someone with amazing stats or terrible stats, more like mittel stadts.

 

[hizzoner]

I think he'll turn out to be a decent NHLer. You know, not someone with amazing stats or terrible stats, more like mittel stadts.

heh heh nice!

 

[Mit Yarrum]

I think he'll turn out to be a decent NHLer. You know, not someone with amazing stats or terrible stats, more like mittel stadts.

Nice

 

[haseoke39]

His value is lower in our organization than it would be most places, just because we can't develop him at his natural (more valuable) position -- not unless or until something dramatic changes with our roster.

For that reason, I can't help but be a little annoyed. We've already deflated reinharts value doing the same thing.

 

[Sabre Dance]

His value is lower in our organization than it would be most places, just because we can't develop him at his natural (more valuable) position -- not unless or until something dramatic changes with our roster.

For that reason, I can't help but be a little annoyed. We've already deflated reinharts value doing the same thing.

He'll develop as a center. He won't hit Buffalo for at least 3 years if we do it right.

 

[haseoke39]

He'll develop as a center. He won't hit Buffalo for at least 3 years if we do it right.

And we're set at center for at least six.

 

[Sabre Dance]

And we're set at center for at least five or six.

You never know. We were set at D 3 years ago.

 

[haseoke39]

You never know. We were set at D 3 years ago.

Fair. Anyways, if it's reinhart that has to move for him, I hope FFS he plays third line center all year and eats matchups and improves his trade value.

If not, I do worry about UFA. He's going at least one year of college, and then he'll have to decide AHL or sophomore year. If he'd prefer college to AHL, and still doesn't see an opening on the big club, things could get interesting.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Fair. Anyways, if it's reinhart that has to move for him, I hope FFS he plays third line center all year and eats matchups and improves his trade value.

If not, I do worry about UFA. He's going at least one year of college, and then he'll have to decide AHL or sophomore year. If he'd prefer college to AHL, and still doesn't see an opening on the big club, things could get interesting.

No, it doesn't make things interesting. He'd need to stay all 4 years at Minnesota to hit UFA. Staying 2 would not at all be troublesome. If he stayed a 3rd year, I might start to get worried, but mostly because I'd hope his development would mean he was ready for the pro game by that point. It's really only if he stays for all 4 years that it becomes a factor, and as of right now, that is not likely to be the case. He'd have to pass up $$$ and reaching FA sooner.

 

[haseoke39]

No, it doesn't make things interesting. He'd need to stay all 4 years at Minnesota to hit UFA. Staying 2 would not at all be troublesome. If he stayed a 3rd year, I might start to get worried, but mostly because I'd hope his development would mean he was ready for the pro game by that point. It's really only if he stays for all 4 years that it becomes a factor, and as of right now, that is not likely to be the case. He'd have to pass up $$$ and reaching FA sooner.

Are you sure he can't leave after 3? Thought he could, might be wrong.

 

[MayDay]

No, it doesn't make things interesting. He'd need to stay all 4 years at Minnesota to hit UFA. Staying 2 would not at all be troublesome. If he stayed a 3rd year, I might start to get worried, but mostly because I'd hope his development would mean he was ready for the pro game by that point. It's really only if he stays for all 4 years that it becomes a factor, and as of right now, that is not likely to be the case. He'd have to pass up $$$ and reaching FA sooner.

Yes, I think it's highly unlikely that a top 10 pick in the Draft would wait 4 years before turning pro.

That would be leaving a lot of money on the table.

 

[haseoke39]

Anyways, worst case scenario is probably we have to move him after a year or two to a team where he becomes their top C prospect, maybe get a top D in return. I'm not actually worried he bolts, but I think his place on our depth chart is problematic and will need to be dealt with somehow.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Yes, I think it's highly unlikely that a top 10 pick in the Draft would wait 4 years before turning pro.

That would be leaving a lot of money on the table.

If he stays 4 he isn't developing properly. Even 3. He should be one of the top college scorers by year 2.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Are you sure he can't leave after 3? Thought he could, might be wrong.

That requires him to have a post-draft year in the USHL before enrolling at Minnesota (that's what Petersen did).

 

[Jim Bob]

I can't wait for him to get into Cal's weight room.

I have a feeling that Okposo likes this pick.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I highly doubt he plays more then one year in college.

Jack Roslovic went pro after his freshman year. As did Kyle Connor, Tyson Jost, Clayton Keller among others. All in the last couple drafts.

If he tears it up at Minnesota this year he'll sign a contract, play in the AHL and possibly get a cup of coffee in 18-19. I was angry as much as anyone over Petersen and I have no worries whatsoever about Mittelstadt pulling a Vesey. He was just drafted 8th overall, he isn't playing 4 years of college so he can just get his first NHL contract at age 23 and be eligible for his second deal at age 25. He wants to get paid.