It has been a tough first few professional seasons for Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt. A productive forward in his lone college campaign, the 22-year-old hasn’t been able to have much success offensively since turning pro. However, he has spent most of his eight games with Buffalo on the wing this season instead of his natural center position with head coach Ralph Krueger telling Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that he’s pleased with Mittelstadt’s progress so far. Krueger went as far as stating that Mittelstadt “looks to be crystalizing into more of a winger than a centerman”, something that may wind up being best for him down the road. While Mittelstadt was drafted to play down the middle, Jack Eichel and Dylan Cozens are their one-two punch for the future, and with Mittelstadt being waiver-eligible next season, Buffalo needs to find a permanent spot for him in its lineup before too long. If that’s the wing, that’s a better outcome than him languishing down the middle.
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