New Jersey Devils: 5 Sabres Trades That Make More Sense Than Jack Eichel
By Nick Villano
Casey Mittelstadt
The Devils are always in the market for a good old-fashioned reclamation project. Casey Mittelstadt is the top person in the entire league that needs a change of scenery. His performance at World Juniors in 2018 had Sabres fans wondering if he was ready to be a star right away. Since then, he’s struggled.
He’s spent this season bouncing between the NHL lineup and the taxi squad. Last season, Mittelstadt was bounced between the AHL and the NHL. In his career, he has 17 NHL goals and 37 total points. This season, he only has three points total.
The Sabres aren’t even playing Mittelstadt. He’s still just 22 years old, but they are wasting his developmental years. He’s a restricted free agent after this season, and it will be very interesting how that negotiation goes.
Obviously, the Sabres aren’t going to give Mittelstadt away. However, they might be willing to make a prospect swap-type deal. The Devils would have to add multiple prospects since Holtz wouldn’t be moving in this deal, and Dawson Mercer is probably off limits, too. Still, it’s worth playing around with the deal and seeing if getting Mittelstadt away from Buffalo is just what he needs to thrive.