Casey Mittelstadt re-signs with Colorado

The Colorado Avalanche announced Tuesday that they have signed former Buffalo Sabers center Casey Mittelstadt to a three-year contract. The contract would have an average annual value of $5.75 million. The Avalanche acquired Mittelstadt in a trade for defenseman Bowen Byram two days before the 2024 NHL trade deadline.

Mittelstadt was Buffalo’s leading scorer at the time of the trade, with 47 points in 62 games. He then recorded 10 points in 18 games with the Avalanche, playing center on the team’s second line. He had nine points in 11 playoff games, scoring at some key moments.

Colorado signed Mittelstadt with the future in mind, parting ways with a highly drafted 22-year-old defenseman to fill the roster void. They made him the third highest-paid forward, behind superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Including injured captain Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin, who is in the NHLPA’s player assistance program, he is the Avs’ fifth-highest paid forward.

Must Read: Why Sabers Win Mittelstadt Trade

A three-year contract allows Mittelstadt to reach free agency at 28, a prime age for another big deal. If he can solidify Colorado’s top six, he’ll position himself for another big raise.

General manager Chris McFarland had this to say about Mittelstadt:

“Casey adapted perfectly to our lineup and contributed greatly to our team down the stretch and in the playoffs. His game has improved each season and he took another big step forward last year. We believe he has an even higher level to reach and it was important to sign him for several years. Casey is an exciting playmaking center with good vision and hands and, at just 25 years old, he will play an important role in our team’s future.

It was the second trade in as many days involving former prominent Sabers players, as goaltender Linus Ullmark was traded by the Boston Bruins to the Ottawa Senators minutes before Game 7 of the 2009 Finals. the Stanley Cup on Monday.

From the Avalanche perspective, here’s the story from Colorado Hockey Now.