Saying he loves being in Buffalo and noting that he’s was surprised to see his name floating around in trade rumors, forward Casey Mittelstadt is hoping he isn’t dealt by the Buffalo Sabres. And, while it’s not clear if the Sabres are eager to make a move, his name has recently popped up.
As the trade deadline approaches and Mittlestadt is still working on the final stretch of his current contract, the pending RFA is one of the few players on the Sabres roster who hasn’t been locked up to a huge contract. He’s currently making $2.5 million and will be in line for a sizeable raise considering he’s got 12 goals and 39 points in 46 games.
Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News writes that Mittelstadt has been surprised to hear his name in the rumor mill. He understands the business side of things, but thinks it’s weird he’s considered someone worth keeping an eye on. “It’s actually kind of weird,” Mittelstadt told The Buffalo News following practice Monday. He added, “I was just sitting at home watching NHL Network and all of a sudden, my name is getting thrown around. So, that was surprising to me, to be honest with you. It’s obviously something I’ve never experienced before.”
Don’t Expect the Mittelstadt Trade Rumors to Quiet Down Anytime Soon
As long as the forward doesn’t have a new deal and if the Sabres are looking to make trades based on their position as either a buyer or seller, people will be talking about Mittelstadt.
Lysowski writes:
The speculation was inevitable and won’t stop anytime soon. Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has not approached Mittelstadt or his agent, Neil Sheehy, to express interest in signing the 2017 first-round draft pick to a long-term contract. Mittelstadt would be a logical candidate. He’s been Buffalo’s most consistent player, a Swiss Army knife that can skate at center or wing in the top six. His impact defensively is also among the best on the team.
It’s not clear if this is an indication of the team’s desire to keep him, but it is odd that he’s one of the few players the Sabres haven’t chatted with yet about sticking around.
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