Forward Casey Mittelstadt re-signs with Avalanche for a three-year deal.
Mittelstadt participated in 18 regular-season games and earned his first-ever Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance after joining the Avs in a March trade with the Buffalo Sabres. Last season, the 25-year-old scored 57 points between Buffalo and Colorado.
General manager of the team MacFarland stated in a news release that “Casey was a great fit for our lineup and a big contributor to our team down the stretch and in the playoffs.” “He has gotten better every season, and this past year he made even more progress.
We think he can perform much better, so getting him contracted for a number of years was crucial. At just 25 years old, Casey is an explosive playmaking center with exceptional hands and vision who will play a significant role in our team’s future.” Mittelstadt was a restricted free agent with a future.
This contract includes his two seasons of possible unrestricted free agency as well as his final year of RFA eligibility. The Avalanche’s signing of Mittelstadt is the first step toward a significant but unpredictable offseason. Although salary cost space is tight, Colorado still wants to sign upcoming UFA Jonathan Drouin and needs to fill multiple depth roles.
According to CapF iendly, Colorado presently has a little over $11.36 million in cap space remaining after signing Mittelstadt, although it does include $6.125 million for Valeri Nichushkin. Until at least mid-November, he is suspended. Now that his salary is not counted against the $88 million limit, the Avs have a bit more flexibility, but when the league reinstates him, they’ll need at least that much space in order to be cap compliant.
With Nichushkin excluded, the Avs now have contracts with eight forwards, four defenseman, and two goalies who were regulars the previous season. With three veterans on minimum contracts and younger players like Nikolai Kovalenko, Jean-Luc Foudy, and Sam Malinski, the Avs could still fill those six open spots, leaving Colorado with less than $6.5 million in cap space at the moment—and less than $320,000 when Nichushkin’s contract is taken into account.
The greatest young player in the franchise, Bo Byram, was transferred by the Avs to the Sabres in exchange for Mittelstadt. It might be necessary for them to deal a regular player from 2023–24 in order to provide space for Drouin or a possible replacement.
For the past few seasons, the Avalanche have been searching for a No. 2 center to start behind Nathan MacKinnon. Mittelstadt, according to Colorado, is the long-term fix. Mittelstadt’s ability to win puck fights and pass the ball well won him over to his teammates very fast. This was further demonstrated throughout the playoffs, as several team leaders praised Mittelstadt for his performance on the largest stage and work ethic.
Buffalo selected Mittelstadt with the eighth overall choice in the 2017 NHL draft, making him one of the greatest hockey players in Minnesota high school history. He made his NHL debut as a teenager after playing hockey for one year in college at Minnesota.
After a dismal start to his NHL career, he was even relegated to the AHL for the 2019–20 campaign. However, Mittelstadt had a breakout season with 15 goals and 59 points in 2022–2023; this past year, they added 18 goals and 57 points.