Colorado needed a second-line center and got one in Casey Mittelstadt.
Colorado needed a second-line center and got one in Casey Mittelstadt.
The Avalanche increased their depth with the addition of four new players but Casey Mittelstadt was the most impactful move the team made — for what it gave up to get him and to fill the second-line center position.
The 25-year-old improved throughout his 339 games played with the Buffalo Sabres and his heightened skill level has emerged in the last two years. Colorado GM Chris MacFarland praised the young forward's ability and explained why the organization sacrificed what it did to get him.
"The fact that we traded a player, a person of Bo's (former Avs defenseman Bowen Byram) stature, for Casey tells you what we think of him," MacFarland said ahead of the matchup with the Minnesota Wild. "We think an awful lot of him. We think he's going to have a big role here, and tonight's the start and hopefully it'll be a good marriage. But we're excited to have him."
Mittelstadt becomes a restricted free agent after this season and there is potential the Avalanche would keep him on — possibly in a long-term contract.
"We'll dive into that. It's certainly something that we do an assessment on before we do any type of transaction like that. He has arbitration rights, and that'll take care of itself once we get through the rigors of the rest of the regular season, the playoffs, but it's something that we certainly [planned for]," MacFarland said. "We didn't just do it without sort of glancing at what that may look like, but again his age his upside, sort of his last two years certainly we're hoping are indicative of how he's going to fit in and where he's going to go."
The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native was drafted by the Sabres so this is his first experience on a new team. He said he's excited to be with the Avs and have the opportunity to play on a Stanley Cup contending team.
"Yeah, I mean, obviously, it's a bit of a whirlwind but I'm extremely excited," Mittelstadt said Thursday. "I see what they've done and what it looks like that we could do together. I think the thought of that is extremely exciting. And yeah, I'm definitely pumped to be here."
The young forward said it means a great deal to him that the organization pursued him and let go of who it did to get him in burgundy and blue.
Head coach Jared Bednar referred to his new 2C as "highly-skilled" and said he will be able to have a better grasp of how he fits into the Avalanche's system as he gets settled and comfortable with the team.
"I do think there's lots of growth left in his game though. I think he could be a more consistent player, a player that's contributing on a nightly basis — not that he's not now, but even more so and be a more impact player and that's just like maturity and etc, etc.," Bednar said. "But I think that like just watching him a couple of years ago to where he is now, it's been huge gains and hopefully he can continue to do that."
Both Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen said it was very sad to lose their good friend Byram — who was also a great presence in the locker room — but that the team got a skilled player with Mittelstadt.
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