Casey Mittelstadt responds to challenge from Sabres; earns 3-year, $7.5M deal
The Daily Goal Horn
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The Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward Casey Mittelstadt to a three-year, $7.5 million contract Thursday.
The 22-year-old restricted free agent finished strong in 2021-22 with nine goals and 17 points in the final 28 games of the regular season.
Mittelstadt finished the season third on the team in goals (10) and fourth in points (22) in 41 games.
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Mittelstadt signs new 3-year deal
“I challenged Casey before last season to prove it, and to earn a spot, and to show what he’s capable of doing. And all he did was show up from Day One of training camp with a great attitude and put the work in,” Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams said.
“And then when he did get the opportunity, he kicked the door open.”
A first-round pick (eighth overall) in 2017, the Minnesota native has 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) and 155 games since making his Sabres debut in March 2018.
“It was a good lesson for me to go home and realize the amount of work I have to put in every day, and the things that I have to do away from the rink to get myself ready to play,” Mittelstadt said. “I think that was the biggest difference more than anything. I think when you do that, you get in a zone and start playing well. You get out what you put into it.”
With the return of Mittelstadt, Buffalo has two remaining restricted free agents in defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju.
–Field Level Media