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

[Jim Bob]

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.

Reinhart doesn't need to go anywhere for Casey. He can play LW and C. In fact, CM-Jack-Samson could be a line down the road.

 

[Dirty Dog]

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.

maybe just stop trying to predict where teams needs will be in a couple of years?

 

[Snippit]

Why are people saying he won't be ready for another 4 years?

CM will be an NHLer the season after this one, IMO. Kid's skill is off the charts, and he's not a small customer.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Why are people saying he won't be ready for another 4 years?

CM will be an NHLer the season after this one, IMO. Kid's skill is off the charts, and he's not a small customer.

I wouldn't mind slowcooking him in rochester for one year in 2018-2019. Regardless of how he performs, but he can always force the issue i guess!

 

[Dex]

I wouldn't mind slowcooking him in rochester for one year in 2018-2019. Regardless of how he performs, but he can always force the issue i guess!

No kidding. Looks like a couple of this years draft picks could use a slow roast rotisserie. Drop them in some marinade and then slather 'em up with some barbecue sauce and spin 'em for the next few years, though I'd like to see at least one of them dry aged. Another idea might be to crock pot 'em for at least one season and see if they're ready. Maybe the European guys can be processed ceviche style.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

Oh the cooking cliches at their finest.

 

[Beerz]

Oh the cooking cliches at their finest.

I like my Middlestatds like I like my brisket ... Marbled with fat


edit: Wow... i "butchered" his name.

 

[1972]

Mittelstadt could be like Keller and play for the Sabres at then end of next year, it's really just a matter of him talking his fitness more seriously.

 

[Sansbacon]

Just coming by to say that I'm starving now.

Hope this kid pan-frys out.

 

[BananaSquad]

Great pick. He is not staying at minnestota for 4 years haha

 

[couture23]

I wonder if he will do the same thing as Jost/Keller and just play one year of NCAA hockey.

 

[Ness]

Mittelstadt could be like Keller and play for the Sabres at then end of next year, it's really just a matter of him talking his fitness more seriously.

We don't know if it's a matter of him not taking his fitness very seriously. He could hit the gym every day for all we know. He's just very young and has plenty of time to build muscle into his frame.

With as much skating as hockey players do during the season, it's very hard for them to build muscle in-season. The Sabres/Minnesosta's strength and conditioning coaches will work with him and help get him to where he needs to be.

 

[Ace]

Or he may not know how to do it properly. It can really be that simple. Ristolainen's body transformed beetween his first and second year because, he said, no one ever taught him how to eat properly away from the gym.

 

[sincerity0]

We don't know if it's a matter of him not taking his fitness very seriously. He could hit the gym every day for all we know. He's just very young and has plenty of time to build muscle into his frame.

With as much skating as hockey players do during the season, it's very hard for them to build muscle in-season. The Sabres/Minnesosta's strength and conditioning coaches will work with him and help get him to where he needs to be.

I'm not sure what the strength issue is... isn't he 6ft 200lbs? Even the best prospects need to add strength coming into the NHL, they're playing against men, not 16-19 year olds.

If the biggest knock on CM is that he needs to add weight and have NHL level conditioning then that's something I could live with. Casey could easily add 15-20lbs of muscle and shed some fat by the start of the 18-19 season, assuming that's the first crack he has at actually making the team.

 

[Chainshot]

I'm not sure what the strength issue is... isn't he 6ft 200lbs? Even the best prospects need to add strength coming into the NHL, they're playing against men, not 16-19 year olds.

If the biggest knock on CM is that he needs to add weight and have NHL level conditioning then that's something I could live with. Casey could easily add 15-20lbs of muscle and shed some fat by the start of the 18-19 season, assuming that's the first crack he has at actually making the team.

Upper body strength is the factor. He's got Zhitnik/Audette legs -- tree trunks.

 

[Paxon]

We don't know if it's a matter of him not taking his fitness very seriously. He could hit the gym every day for all we know. He's just very young and has plenty of time to build muscle into his frame.

With as much skating as hockey players do during the season, it's very hard for them to build muscle in-season. The Sabres/Minnesosta's strength and conditioning coaches will work with him and help get him to where he needs to be.

His comments at the combine indicated he didn't hit the gym to the level of most, which is fine as he was a high school player.

 

[Dirty Dog]

its a non issue.

 

[Samsonite23]

its a non issue.

Pretty much how I see it.

 

[Ace]

I also think it's a non issue. But for those who disagree going to college for a year is the best place for him. Playing only on weekends gives him the ability to follow a better fitness routine during the week then playing every other day does.

 

[Paxon]

its a non issue.

It adds to his upside

 

[Man of Principles]

He needs a quick 1 year pan sear but has the skill to be in the blue and gold by next year is my impression.

I understand it from his position. He was on skates most of the time. If he committed to the gym he could solve his main issue in 6 months or a year. No shortage of size, just needs to beef up.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

I'm digging him more and more. I laughed at what Bob McKenzie had to say about him after the draft. Forgive me, I'm paraphrasing as I don't recall his exact phrasing, but it was something to the effect of:

"Here's how good Casey Mittelstadt is. He managed to **** off half the league's scouts with his interview responses, not do a single pull up at the combine, virtually fail his V02 test, and STILL get picked 8th overall."

Can't wait to see him screaming down Eichel/ROR/Sam's wing in a couple years.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Part of me would love to see him developed as a center but that would mean one of or possibly both of RoR and Reinhart moving to the wings. Look at it this way, the Buffalo Sabres have in their organization FOUR players capable of playing center who either already are or are projected to be #1 Centers . That is incredible. You have teams like the Canadians who are starved for a true 1C and have been looking for one for years and we literally have four of them. Reinhart will get there soon enough. A 1C to me is someone capable of scoring ~55/60 points+. If they possess a good two way game then 50/55+ is the threshold for a low end 1C. There aren't 30 centers scoring 60 points a season.

I'm liking the pick more and more, forward was always my wish for #8 barring Makar or Heiskanen dropping and I got my wish. I may have preferred Tippett since Glass was already gone but I'm happy with Mittelstadt. I did also like Vilardi but with what Botterill and Housley want to build with a fast up tempo team Vilardi simply wasn't a good enough skater.

Now, a question for someone who has watched him plenty the past year or two...what is his overall ceiling? I get that he has a sky high ceiling and 1C potential, but what kind of 1C are we talking about? I know he has a nice 2 way game but what offensive numbers can we expect if he fully develops? 60 points? 70? Ppg? I doubt anyone in this draft has ppg potential but if Mittelstadt can become a 2 way 60 point C/W I'll be jumping for joy. Our forward corps is finally being rounded out. Possibly trading Kane for a dman is now acceptable to me since we added a replacement. Eichel, RoR, Mittelstadt, Nylander and Reinhart is an incredible group to build around for a future cup contender up front. RoR is the oldest at 26 while Reinhart and Eichel are only turning 22 and 21 and Nylander and Mittelstadt are teenagers....this team is coming around.

 

[Aladyyn]

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

Not even close to the degree of how set at C we are. We have 2 top 15 C, one of them with top 3 upside, and another who projects in a similar range. We never had that on defense.

 

[gallagt01]

How did Mittelstadt **** off scouts during his interviews?