Say hello to the new guy...

[ckg927]

AKA the Sabres' 1st round pick...Casey Mittelstadt.

He's a center from Eden Prairie HS in Minnesota, who also put in time for the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers.

[Night Train]

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=300831

[Night Train]

A couple years at the Univ. of Minnesota should serve him well.

[YardRat]

I was going to say...is this kid 4 years down the road before he suits up for real?

[ckg927]

I was going to say...is this kid 4 years down the road before he suits up for real?
Depends. I don't think he's ready to step into the NHL yet, and I'd bet Casey would agree with that assessment.

[YardRat]

Not too many are ready right away. Minnesota is a good program.

[YardRat]

OK, I know the NHL isn't a weight-lifting contest, but this kid couldn't do a single pull-up and managed only one rep benching 160 lbs at the combine? Was he injured?

[DetDannyWilliams]

OK, I know the NHL isn't a weight-lifting contest, but this kid couldn't do a single pull-up and managed only one rep benching 160 lbs at the combine? Was he injured?

“I try to work on being a hockey player. I don’t try to work on my bench press or pull-ups,” Mittelstadt told Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://www.wday.com/sports/4279351-minnesotas-top-hockey-prospect-middlestadt-fails-record-single-pull-during-strength). “I want to be a hockey player and that’s what I train to do…I think it’s good to be strong, and I think there are things I can get stronger at and work on, but I don’t think being able to do a pull-up is going to make me be able to handle the puck better or be a better shooter.”

[YardRat]

OK...so he wasn't injured.

[coastal]

Elite level offensive talent.

Great pick.

univ of Minn a great place for him to go.

[ParanoidAndroid]

He'll sign with the Wild as a free agent when he's done with school.

[Historian]

Did we really need another Center?

Was I the only one thinking Defense?

[YardRat]

JESUS CHRIST EVEN LECTER CAN PROBABLY DO ONE PULL-UP!!

I was thinking defense also, but only two went in the top 13 picks until a mini run at 14-15-16.

This kid seems pretty skilled, would we have been better off going with somebody like Foote, Brannstrom or Valimaki? Just a disclaimer, I really don't have an opinion, I don't follow hockey prospects at all, let alone at the level I do football.

[Night Train]

I saw the pull up story and laughed.

He's not a weight room guy for sure and thus the plan to play a couple years in a top college program. 98 % of these top picks never make the NHL roster the first year and this is hardly a surprise. We need D but I'm guessing he was ranked far higher than any D-man. Vets and promotions from within is probably the immediate plan. Already acquired one from Montreal.



Overall Ranking of our pick

Ranked #8 by Hockeyprospect.com (http://www.eliteprospects.com/draftcenter.php?year=2017&layout=&ranking=Rank5)
Ranked #7 by ISS Hockey (http://www.eliteprospects.com/draftcenter.php?year=2017&layout=&ranking=Rank3)
Ranked #5 by Future Considerations (http://www.eliteprospects.com/draftcenter.php?year=2017&layout=&ranking=Rank4)
Ranked #5 by McKeen's Hockey (http://www.eliteprospects.com/draftcenter.php?year=2017&layout=&ranking=Rank6)
Ranked #3 by NHL Central Scouting (http://www.eliteprospects.com/draftcenter.php?year=2017&layout=&ranking=Rank7&con=NA) (NA Skaters)
Ranked #6 by TSN/McKenzie


Hmm...I'm going to defer to our GM and his scouts on this one. They like him, that's fine by me.

[Night Train]

Did we really need another Center?
Was I the only one thinking Defense?

Harrington does a good job explaining it. D and Goalies to come.

http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/23/mike-harrington-lots-needs-sabres-stay-middle/

[Ginger Vitis]

I'm a Leafs fan and I'm estatic they got Liljegren at 17... Incredible value.... The Leafs got fortunate that the Islanders and Canucks passed on Willie Nylander in 2014 and they were able to get him @8 and they got lucky again this year.. Prior to the draft Kris Baker thought Botterill should make at "Home run type pick with a offensive defensemen" with the 8th overall pick and I agree with him I wish Botterill had taken Liljegren @8

[swiper]

Harrington does a good job explaining it. D and Goalies to come.

http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/23/mike-harrington-lots-needs-sabres-stay-middle/

Botterill explained his point of view in a recent interview. He prefaced it by reminding everyone that hockey is not like other sports when it comes to drafting. He always takes the best player on the board (vs going for need). Which makes sense.

And I remember only a couple of years ago Sabres fans clamoring for a center. The Sabres centers were so bad that Regier went out and made a big "splash," as it were for him, to get Cody Hodgson for Zack Kassian. LOL. Taking the best center available is almost NEVER a bad decision IMO.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Davidsson... Damn auto correct.