"It was a bigger level operation, I guess, that I had so there's gonna be some complications and more than anything just working through it," Mittelstadt said.
"It sucks, but it is what it is. You wake up, keep going and confidence is going to get back to where it needs to be and when it is, I'm going to be ready to go."
Video: PRACTICE REPORT
Mittelstadt, 23, was poised to begin the season as Buffalo's top-line centerman before sustaining an initial upper-body injury on opening night. He returned in December and played three games prior to having surgery. He has a goal and an assist in seven contests this season.
"It's been tough, but you know, just try to stick to routines, and you get up in the morning and come here with a positive attitude and put a smile on your face and have some laughs with the guys and try to hang around as long as you can," he said.
"Especially whenever you're have skating, and just get in the locker with them and hearing some stories about what they're going through and just having a good laugh always brightens a day. Just staying disciplined away from the rink knowing that it will eventually turn and you're going to be ready. It could be any day for me so just keep going and keep getting up and keep coming to work."
Here are more notes from Wednesday's practice at KeyBank Center.
Dustin Tokarski will start Buffalo's home game against Columbus on Thursday, Granato announced. Craig Anderson will start the following game in Montreal on Sunday.
The Sabres opened the season with a tandem of Anderson and Tokarski, both of whom returned from long absences during the team's three-game road trip ahead of the All-Star break. Anderson had missed nearly three months with an upper-body injury. Tokarski missed over a month due to lingering effects of COVID-19.
Anderson has 296 career victories, tied with Ron Hextall for 40th in NHL history. He needs four wins to become the 39th goalie to reach 300. (Dallas goalie Braden Holtby is also within earshot at 398.)
"You got to set goals for yourself to kind of keep yourself motivated and keep pushing yourself," he said. "That's definitely one of them as far on a personal standpoint as far as trying to climb the standings."
Video: AFTER PRACTICE: Anderson
Granato said the team received positive news on Vinnie Hinostroza, who left midway through practice on Tuesday. It was his first skate with the team since sustaining a lower-body injury on Jan. 17.
"There was a stop that he made at practice that didn't feel too good but it didn't worsen anything," Granato said. "He just felt some pain and wanted to make certain, so we followed up today to see if anything was worse and got a better look at it. Nothing was worse and he feels the same."
Hinostroza did not practice Wednesday. Here's how the group lined up, with the seven defensemen rotating partners.
| February 9 |
| --- |
| LW | C | RW |
| 53 Jeff Skinner | 72 Tage Thompson | 89 Alex Tuch |
| 96 Anders Bjork | 24 Dylan Cozens | 21 Kyle Okposo |
| 74 Rasmus Asplund | 19 Peyton Krebs | 71 Victor Olofsson |
| 17 Mark Jankowski | 20 Cody Eakin | 15 John Hayden |
| | 37 Casey Mittelstadt | |
| LD | RD | G |
| 26 Rasmus Dahlin | 10 Henri Jokiharju | 41 Craig Anderson |
| 8 Robert Hagg | 13 Mark Pysyk | 31 Dustin Tokarski |
| 23 Mattias Samuelsson | 78 Jacob Bryson | 1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen |
| | 45 Casey Fitzgerald | |
