Player Report Card: Casey Mittelstadt

Season Stats: 72 GP | 12 G | 13 A | 25 PTS

Age: 20

Contract Status: One-year, $925,000 cap hit

In reviewing the list of players eligible to be graded this year, Casey Mittelstadt’s situation is one of the more complicated to assess. There’s a delicate balance to consider here. As the team’s de facto second-line center, fans were probably anticipating a little more offensive production, but knowing what we know about the Buffalo Sabres’ winger depth in 2018-19, how much more could have reasonably expected from the rookie?

When a first-year center is saddled with a player like Kyle Okposo as his most prominent right-winger, expecting him to carry a virtual lead anchor for a majority of the year…