Former NHL players have started Casey Mittlestadt rumours, and the Avs may be a good place for him.
Former NHL players have started Casey Mittlestadt rumours, and the Avs may be a good place for him.
Buffalo Sabres star centre Casey Mittelstadt would be a great asset in a trade deal with his history, and being the Sabres' top point-scorer this season.
Sadly though, he has slumped lately. He has only scored a single goal in his past 10 games, and it was on Jan. 15 against the San Jose Sharks. But perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what Mittelstadt needs.
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The peak of his career was last season - where he scored 15 goals and 44 assists in 82 games. But he's not keeping that trend up right now. So, the City of Good Neighbours is tentatively putting him on the market.
Since the Avs need a forward, he'd be a good bet to help them through the playoffs.
Mittelstadt is an accurate shooter, with a 14.0 shooting percentage that puts him in the NHLs 82nd percentile. He has also had 30 assists this season, and would be a complimentary star by giving the Avalanche's current star forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen ample scoring opportunities.
According to ex-NHLers Andrew Peters, who once played for the Sabres, and Craig Rivet, who both run the podcast After the Whistle, Sabres General Manager Kevin Adams is looking to trade him.
"I have heard from a very reliable source, very reliable, Kevin Adams is shopping Casey Mittelstadt hard, [and] doesn't want to pay him," Peters said in the podcast.
Mittelstadt costs the Sabres $2.5M per season, and his three-year, $7.5M-contract will end this season, and he will become an RFA.
The Sabres are sitting in second last in the Atlantic Division with 48 points. With less and less playoff hope by the day, they may not be over their rebuild as some have thought.
On the other side, playoff contending teams such as the Colorado Avalanche may be looking to take on players like him.
It has been said repeatedly the Avalanche need a second-line centre, especially with the continued slump of third-liner Ryan Johansen, who has not scored a single goal in the past 10 games despite an $8-million total cap hit since starting for the Avs in 2023-24.
Sadly for the Avs, according to Peters and Rivet, the Sabres are looking for a top-tier goalie in exchange for Mittelstadt. Which is not something the Avalanche can offer because they are looking for a goalie too.
The Avs would have to convince the Sabres with multiple valuable assets. For example, their first- and fourth-round picks in 2024, and prospects such as Calum Ritchie, and perhaps even sacrificing a first- or third-round pick in 2025 if they wanted to land Mittelstadt.
Bowen Byram
One big bargaining chip the Avs have is Bowen Byram. His two-year, $7.7-million contract ends with him becoming an RFA in 2025. With 61 shots blocked this season (and not bad offensive numbers either) he might be one part of a bigger deal that could land Mittelstadt.
The Hockey News' Michael DeRosa reported that the Sabres are looking for a good defenseman, and Byram could fit the bill.
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