BUFFALO Carolina Hurricanes Hats Womens , N.Y. (AP) The Sabres’ top prospect, center Casey Mittelstadt, is leaving Minnesota following his freshman season after agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract with Buffalo on Monday.Mittelstadt is scheduled to join the Sabres on Tuesday, and general manger Jason Botterill said he expects the player to make his NHL debut Thursday, when Buffalo hosts the Detroit Red Wings.With Buffalo out of playoff contention, Botterill also told reporters before Buffalo’s game at Toronto on Monday that he hoped Mittlestadt would consider representing the United States at the world hockey championships in Denmark in May.The agreement with the Sabres was reached a little over a week after Minnesota’s season ended by failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Gophers are also undergoing a change after coach Don Lucia announced he is stepping down following 19 seasons.The 19-year-old Mittelstadt was selected by the Sabres with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft.Mittelstadt had 11 goals and 19 assists in 34 games and was named to the Big Ten all-freshmen team this year.He has already made a splash in Buffalo after creating several highlight-reel plays in representing the bronze-medal-winning United States team at the World Junior hockey championship, which was held in the city three months ago.From Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Mittelstadt was named the 10-nation tournament’s MVP after finishing tied for first in scoring with 11 points (four goals, seven assists).Botterill was impressed by how Mittelstadt excelled at the world juniors.”With it being here in Buffalo Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys , there was that added pressure,” Botterill told The Associated Press in January. ”And I think you saw a player who instead of succumbing to the pressure, actually thriving in that type of environment.”Mittelstadt’s most memorable goal came in a in a 3-2 preliminary-round loss to Slovakia.With the U.S. trailing 2-1, Mittelstadt stripped the puck from Marian Studenic at the Slovakia blue line and circled back into the zone. Mittelstadt kicked the puck between his legs to avoid a check by defender Michal Ivan and didn’t break stride in cutting across the top of the crease and avoiding goalie Roman Durny. He swept a shot into the open left side with 3:11 remaining.Mittelstadt joins a Sabres team that has already extended its franchise-worst playoff drought to seven years, and in jeopardy of finishing last in the overall standings for the third time in five seasons.The Sabres have six games left after playing Toronto, and they are not allowed to demote Mittelstadt to the minors this spring.Mittelstadt will use up the first year of his contract this season. However, he would not be eligible to be exposed for selection in an expansion draft in 2020, should the NHL approve Seattle’s bid to join the league for the 2020-21 season.Mittelstadt’s addition comes a day after defenseman Will Borgen elected to skip his senior season at St. Cloud State to sign a three-year contract with the Sabres.— OTTAWA — Brady Tkachuk is making up for lost time.In the process, the Ottawa Senators rookie is also working himself into the early season Calder Trophy conversation.Tkachuk, who on Nov. 8 returned from a leg injury that sidelined him for 11 games, scored twice to propel the Senators to a 4-3 comeback win on Tuesday in Philadelphia that stopped the team’s losing streak at four games. He also had an assist to give him five points in two games and 16 in 14 games this season.Article continues below ...With nine goals Chicago Blackhawks Hoodies Womens , Tkachuk has already surpassed the eight he had in 40 games last season at Boston University. And his recent point surge has him tied with teammate Colin White for second place among rookie scorers, five behind Vancouver’s Elias Peterson.The fourth overall selection in last spring’s NHL entry draft has also provided the Senators with the physical, gritty winger they’ve long lacked.“He brings something a little different,” teammate Matt Duchene told the Ottawa Sun. “I don’t think we have a power forward quite like him on the team. When we drafted him, that was something I was excited about, to have a guy like that.“I played with Gabriel Landeskog in Colorado and I told (Tkachuk) they’re very similar players in the stuff they do. They crash and bang, they have good hands and feet and they can see the ice at the same time. You can see the reasons he was such a high pick.”The Senators (10-12-3) will anxiously return to Canadian Tire Centre for Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers. They are 7-4-2 on home ice.The Rangers (13-10-2) have had a break since beating the Senators 4-2 on Monday in New York. That win was not without its cost. Forward Vladislav Namestnikov landed in concussion protocol after a collision with Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot.The Rangers will also be without winger Mats Zuccarello, who is dealing with a groin problem. With only 11 healthy forwards, Rangers coach Dave Quinn said he might have to go to use seven defenceman against Ottawa by dressing former Senators player Fredrik Claesson.“I don’t love it, but it is on the table,” Quinn Chicago Blackhawks Hats Womens , who coached Tkachuk at Boston University, told the New York Post of the 7-11 format. “I want to get Freddie back in. He didn’t deserve to come out.”Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be in goal for the Rangers. In 41 career games against the Senators, he has a sagging 17-20-3 record but a strong 2.16 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.The Senators will start Craig Anderson, who has a 12-7-3 record against the Rangers that includes a sparkling 1.87 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.The Senators, who are among the league leaders in goals scored, have also surrendered a league-high 107.Anderson has substantial leads in goalie categories that reflect the defensive struggles of his team. Heading into Wednesday, he had faced in excess of 100 more shots (788) than the second busiest goalie in the league. He was also a long way in front of the pack in saves (709) and goals against (79).