Casey Mittelstadt has a new contract in place with the Colorado Avalanche. After being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres via trade, the Avalanche found their guy down the middle. Mittelstadt will remain with the Avalanche for the next three and will have an AAV $5.75 million. This is a great deal for both sides and a huge signing for the Avalanche overall.
3 years, $5.75M AAV https://t.co/lkxRXlNp75
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 25, 2024
Mittelstadt Signs New Contract with Avalanche
The Avalanche finally have their guy. After losing Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames via free agency, finding someone to replace him has been a challenge. However, in a big trade with the Sabres they did manage to land their guy. Mittelstadt is a versatile player that can play both centre and wing, but primarily played centre this season. The trade ended up working for both sides and ultimately is a win for the Avalanche now given the Mittelstadt contract.
Between both teams, Mittelstadt scored 18 goals and 57 points. He brings a necessary depth to the Avalanche, who need an extra punch being Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Mittelstadt finished the year with 45 takeaways and did finish with a faceoff win percentage of 47.7%. He became a player that is useful and can play in different situations. But most importantly, being depth down the middle.
In the playoffs, he went on to score three goals and nine points. Now that he’s locked up he fills a void in the lineup.
What this Contract Means for the Avalanche
The Mittelstadt contract makes sense entirely for the Avalanche. This is a team that is capable of winning the Stanley Cup now and has players such as MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Cale Makar playing at a high level. However, with the absence of captain Gabriel Landeskog and the suspension given out to Valeri Nichushkin, the team needs reinforcements.
Mittelstadt provides a necessary depth down the middle but also a boost in production. Him doing so allows the pressure to be taken off the top line and give the Avalanche a secondary layer of scoring. This is a great deal for both sides and keeps the contention window very open in Colorado.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
