NHL draft 2017: Buffalo Sabres select center Casey Mittelstadt with No. 8 pick

Mittelstadt will pay off down the road.

In every draft, there are help-now players and there are projects. If Casey Mittelstadt is a project, then he’s one worth the wait.

The highly skilled center was selected No. 8 overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday after being considered a top-five pick for most of the year. Mittelstadt becomes one of his new team’s top prospects, even if he has a ways to go before reaching the NHL level.

Mittelstadt was a man among boys with Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota this year, where he scored 21 goals and 64 points in 25 games. He was named “Mr. Hockey” as Minnesota’s best high school player. Mittelstadt will play for the University of Minnesota next season.

Here’s what our Scott Wheeler had to say about Mittelstadt in his scouting report:

Mittelstadt has shown himself to be a surefire top-five talent in this class, and in the same breath as Gabe Vilardi behind the big two of Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick. His ability to dictate and drive play through the middle of the ice to high-danger areas makes him a fascinating prospect. After a year or two of fine-tuning his game with the University of Minnesota, don’t be surprised if he steps into the NHL as an impact first-year player.