The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of staff writers and over 200 readers that ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2023. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player. Staff votes counted equally with reader votes.
Drafted: 2017 (8th Overall)
Position: Center
Born: Nov. 22, 1998-24 years old
2022-23 Stats: 15-44-59 in 82 games played
2022 T25UT Ranking: 12
Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt made major improvements over his six-year career. After playing just six games and getting five points in his rookie 2017-18 season, Mittelstadt finished 2022-23 15-44-59 in 82 matchups.
No. 37 filled in for an injured Tage Thompson late last season and performed remarkably well on the Sabres’ top line with Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch, as Sion Fawkes at SabreNoise noted. Fawkes believes Mitts would make an ideal candidate to replace Jack Quinn on Buffalo’s second line this fall, as Quinn rehabs from a torn Achilles.
One of the best goals Mittelstadt made playing in Thompson’s place was on Apr. 8, 2023 against the Carolina Hurricanes. With Buffalo trailing Carolina 3-2 late in the second period, Mittelstadt took control of the puck and passed it to Skinner, who raced down to the Canes’ zone.
Skinner passed the puck to Owen Power, who sent it to Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin passed it to Mittelstadt, who made quick work backhanding it into Carolina’s net.
Mittelstadt was equally comfortable on the ice with other forwards including Peyton Krebs and Dylan Cozens. In a contest against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 15, 2022, Krebs passed the puck to Cozens, who set up Mittelstadt for a quick wrister that beat Canucks goalie Spencer Martin to cut Buffalo’s deficit in half.
At a press conference during the Sabres’ training camp on Sep. 22, Mittelstadt said that everyone on the team was “ready to get going” for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
With Casey on the ice, or at the bat, as the late legendary broadcaster Rick Jeanneret quipped, the Blue and Gold are ready to write their next NHL chapter. Expectations are high and Sabres fans are just as ready to get going as the players are.
2023 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25-
#10: Zach Benson