Casey Mittelstadt

Selected by Buffalo with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Mittelstadt has been a sleeper candidate for a while now, having never recorded more than 25 points in a single season prior to the 2022-23 campaign. The 24-year-old finally lived up to his potential last season, scoring 15 goals and 59 points in 82 outings with the Sabres while averaging 15:44 of ice time and bouncing between the top-three lines. With the progress he's made, Mittelstadt should cement his role as a top-six forward this season and see his playing time tick up a bit as a result. That said, the Sabres have enough talent that he might not get many opportunities to serve on the first line or top power-play unit, which will likely keep him from making another sizable offensive jump in 2023-24. Although the young forward might still have some untapped offensive upside left, it would be better to pencil him in for around 50-60 points this season.

Mittelstadt is an easy top-six offensive talent, but his skills are yet to translate to the NHL level. He was banged up a good chunk of last year, playing in just 40 games and posting six goals, 19 points, and a dreadful minus-14 rating. The concern with Mittelstadt is that he doesn't help his team much if he isn't piling up the points. There's plenty of time for the Minnesota native to get back on track given that he won't turn 24 until late November, but a substantial breakout does not appear imminent heading into the 2022-23 campaign.

Widely viewed as one of the top prospects in the game not all that long ago, Mittelstadt's game hasn't progressed as originally hoped. The Minnesota native is an elite-level offensive talent, but there has never been any consistency or urgency in his game since turning pro. His stats with Buffalo a season ago (10 goals, 22 points in 41 games) appear better than they actually were. Mittelstadt also finished with a minus-10 rating in addition to an unsustainable 16.4 percent shooting percentage. There's still long-term hope for Mittelstadt at age 22, but the Sabres figure to be a bottom-tier team again this in 2021-22 and it's difficult to get excited about virtually any player on Buffalo in a redraft fantasy format, Mittelstadt included.

Mittelstadt suffered severe regression last year, notching just nine points in 31 games a year after he scored 12 goals and 25 points in 77 contests. The eighth overall pick from 2017 is still trying to find his way at the NHL level, and he's no lock for even a bottom-six job entering 2020-21. He was solid in 36 games with AHL Rochester last year, producing nine tallies and 25 points, but he'll need to take another step forward on offense to get on head coach Ralph Kruegers' good side. Mittelstadt has almost no appeal in single-year leagues, but dynasty managers may want to stash him just in case he takes a leap forward and cashes in on his draft pedigree in the near future.

Mittelstadt didn't move the needle much in his first full NHL campaign last season, as the eighth overall selection from the 2017 draft finished with just 25 points and a minus-19 rating in 77 games. He doesn't turn 21 until November, so Mittelstadt still has plenty of time to improve his five-on-five play, and he showed some promise with the man advantage with 10 power-play points. Mittelstadt is a sleeper in redraft formats, but he'll have trouble waking up if he can't win the No. 2 center job behind Jack Eichel heading into the season.

Mittelstadt showed flashes of elite talent in six games with the Sabres last season during which he scored his first NHL goal and added another four assists. His stellar audition was enough for the Sabres to part ways with veteran Ryan O'Reilly and Mittelstadt finds himself pencilled in as the No. 2 center. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher is a top playmaker and will need a winger with some finish to maximize his offensive potential, perhaps with Jeff Skinner or Conor Sheary. Jack Eichel will demand the opposition's top defense most nights, so that will also take off some pressure. Given Mittelstadt's status as a budding superstar, a 20-goal, 60-point season shouldn't be out of the question, making him a top contender for the Calder Trophy and a high-upside pick for fantasy owners, especially in dynasty leagues.