"We'll see," coach Phil Housley told The Buffalo News. "He's supposed to get in tonight or tomorrow, we'll talk to him and evaluate that at that time. But I'd like to see him get in the lineup as soon as he could.
"He'll see another level of speed for sure here but he plays the game at a high-speed level with great hockey sense and a great IQ for the game. I think that will be a good adjustment for him to get up to speed. You're playing in a man's league. You're playing against stronger and bigger players. Those are things he's going to have to make adjustments to. But by using his speed, he'll be able to create separation and get away from checks."
Mittelstadt (6-foot-1, 201 pounds) was chosen with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and completed his freshman season at the University of Minnesota, where he had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 34 games and earned a place on the Big Ten all-freshman team. He was also named MVP of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship after helping the United States to a bronze medal with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in seven games.
"Seeing him there, he was one of the best players in the tournament," Sabres center Jack Eichel said. "High skill level, somebody that we can definitely use."
