Casey Mittelstadt

Widely viewed as one of the top prospects in the game not all that long ago, Mittelstadt's game hasn't progressed as originally hoped. The Minnesota native is an elite-level offensive talent, but there has never been any consistency or urgency in his game since turning pro. His stats with Buffalo a season ago (10 goals, 22 points in 41 games) appear better than they actually were. Mittelstadt also finished with a minus-10 rating in addition to an unsustainable 16.4 percent shooting percentage. There's still long-term hope for Mittelstadt at age 22, but the Sabres figure to be a bottom-tier team again this in 2021-22 and it's difficult to get excited about virtually any player on Buffalo in a redraft fantasy format, Mittelstadt included.

Mittelstadt suffered severe regression last year, notching just nine points in 31 games a year after he scored 12 goals and 25 points in 77 contests. The eighth overall pick from 2017 is still trying to find his way at the NHL level, and he's no lock for even a bottom-six job entering 2020-21. He was solid in 36 games with AHL Rochester last year, producing nine tallies and 25 points, but he'll need to take another step forward on offense to get on head coach Ralph Kruegers' good side. Mittelstadt has almost no appeal in single-year leagues, but dynasty managers may want to stash him just in case he takes a leap forward and cashes in on his draft pedigree in the near future.

Mittelstadt didn't move the needle much in his first full NHL campaign last season, as the eighth overall selection from the 2017 draft finished with just 25 points and a minus-19 rating in 77 games. He doesn't turn 21 until November, so Mittelstadt still has plenty of time to improve his five-on-five play, and he showed some promise with the man advantage with 10 power-play points. Mittelstadt is a sleeper in redraft formats, but he'll have trouble waking up if he can't win the No. 2 center job behind Jack Eichel heading into the season.

Mittelstadt showed flashes of elite talent in six games with the Sabres last season during which he scored his first NHL goal and added another four assists. His stellar audition was enough for the Sabres to part ways with veteran Ryan O'Reilly and Mittelstadt finds himself pencilled in as the No. 2 center. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher is a top playmaker and will need a winger with some finish to maximize his offensive potential, perhaps with Jeff Skinner or Conor Sheary. Jack Eichel will demand the opposition's top defense most nights, so that will also take off some pressure. Given Mittelstadt's status as a budding superstar, a 20-goal, 60-point season shouldn't be out of the question, making him a top contender for the Calder Trophy and a high-upside pick for fantasy owners, especially in dynasty leagues.