NHL Draft Profile: Casey Mittelstadt, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

NHL Draft Profile: Casey Mittelstadt was a point-per-game player for the U18 Team USA squad in 2015-16. A Minnesota High School Product From the Infamous Eden Prairie Program, Casey is Currently Skating With the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.

Set to be held on June 23/24th in Chicago, Illinois, the 2017 NHL Draft will mark the 55th time for the annual event. There isn’t a lot of buzz surrounding this year’s crop of talent, but it doesn’t mean that teams won’t find cornerstone pieces for the future.

To help get fans better acquainted with draft-eligible prospects, we plan to roll out a whack load of draft profiles and numerous mock drafts over the next few months. Make sure to keep us bookmarked for all your NHL draft coverage.

With the NHL‘s 31st franchise set to debut, we’ll obviously have one extra pick in each round for a total 217 opposed to 210 from previous years. The Vegas Golden Knights will be given the 3rd highest odds in the Draft Lottery, the same spot Edmonton occupied in 2015-16 before dropping to 4th. Las Vegas will then receive the 3rd pick in each subsequent round.

Casey Mittelstadt, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

Height/Weight: 6’1/201lbs
Position (handedness): C/LW (left)
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy): 11/22/1998
Birthplace: Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Player Bio/Stats

Casey was an extremely productive high school player even as a 16-year-old. In his first year with Eden Prairie High, Mittelstadt scored 22 goals, 25 assists (47 points) in 25 games.

A year later in 2015-16, he matched his 22 goals from the previous year, but added 37 helpers for 59 points in 25 games. He wound up representing Team USA at the U18 World Championships and made a name for himself after tallying seven goals, six assists (13 points) in 13 games.

In 2016-17, Casey had unfinished business with Eden Prairie racking up 10 goals, 19 assists through 15 games. He decided to join USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers for the remainder of the year leading into the NHL draft in hopes of raising his stock even further. A late ’98 birthday, he narrowly missed out on being eligible in 2016 by a couple of months.

Mittelstadt is set to begin his NCAA career in the Fall of 2017 with the University of Minnesota. Given the circumstance of his age, coupled with his size and development over the last year and a half, it’s conceivable that whichever team selects him will likely be looking to sign him to his entry-level deal after just a year or two of college hockey.

Talent Analysis/Skill-Set

All NHL

There’s a lot to like about Casey Mittelstadt’s game. Much of his strongest attributes seem to be linked to his speed. A strong skater, Casey plays with a lot of energy at all times whether he’s backchecking, forechecking, or making something happen offensively. He generates a ton of speed with his crossovers and uses it to his advantage in many situations (i.e. coming out of the corner to drive the net, carrying the puck from behind his own net).

Casey is a very dangerous player in the offensive zone. An outstanding stick handler, Mittelstadt can undress opponents to make near impossible passes. Not only does he have an ability to thread the needle with jaw-dropping playmaking abilities, but he also knows how to finish.

In fact, one might argue that his shooting abilities are his greatest attribute. He has a deceivingly quick release that is extremely difficult for netminders to track. If it’s not enough that he possesses a strong, accurate shot, Middelstadt also has that innate ability to find the smallest openings that are seemingly covered.

Mittelstadt is by far one of my favorite prospects available in June’s NHL draft. There’s just too much to like about this kid, and something tells me he could be a decent NHL goal scorer somewhere in the near future, definitely a top-six forward.

Quotes

via Curtis Joe (Elite Prospects),

“An electric offensive presence on the ice, Casey Mittelstadt brings the complete package of speed, skill, and hockey sense. He competes hard with every shift, and has the dynamic puck skills to keep up with his creativity, which is a hallmark of his game. His awareness is all-encompassing, and he never puts his teammates in positions where their time and space will be bottlenecked. Bigger players don’t phase him, as he thinks the game analytically and will find chinks in the opposition’s armor on the fly. As a result, Mittelstadt is often seen forcing more complicated plays that the opposition won’t be able to read in time. On top of all this, he can play a north-south game, and his transition game is already at an elite level. He’s a complete player with the predatory instincts necessary to succeed as a consistent and, perhaps, dominant point producer at the next level.”

Next: 2017 1st Round Mock (December Rankings)

via Dan Marr (Director of NHL Central Scouting),

“Casey is one of these anomalies that comes along every few years,” Marr said. “We’ve watched him play against his peers in international tournaments and seen him play in the USHL and various camps, and he always makes a difference. It doesn’t really matter where he plays, because you get the same game from him, no matter the environment.”

via Craig Button (TSN),

“Has speed, quickness and agility and can use it to a great advantage on the attack or in tight areas to create space for himself and opportunities for his team. He projects as a Top 2 line offensive centre in the NHL.”