Casey Mittelstadt became a productive NHL player because his hands and his mind are among the best in the sport.
When he’s not dazzling with incredible passes most NHL players can’t see or can’t execute, his coach has a different aspect of Mittelstadt’s game in mind.
“When I watch his game … he’s effective when he’s skating and churning his legs,” Jared Bednar said. “I don’t know if it’s an energy thing from him recently. I think the offense comes with him because he’s such a creative guy, great playmaker and passer. It starts with him moving his legs and challenging defenders with his legs and with his skating to create more offense.”
Mittelstadt will play Tuesday night for the Avalanche in Buffalo for the first time. He was a first-round pick by the Sabres in 2017, once a potential franchise pillar for an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs for 13 straight seasons.
The surprising trade — Colorado sent its best young NHL player (defenseman Bo Byram) to Buffalo for Mittelstadt — has been an obvious success for both Mittelstadt and the Avalanche. The Avs got a long-term solution for the No. 2 center behind Nathan MacKinnon, and Mittelstadt got a fresh start with a Stanley Cup contender.
“I spend a lot of time there, have a lot of great friends and great memories,” Mittelstadt said. “So it will probably be a little bittersweet, but should be fun. I’m looking forward to it.
“I have no idea (if it will be emotional), to be honest. It’s my first time doing this part of it, so it’ll probably be a little weird. I mean, so many guys I played with forever are still there, obviously. I’m sure that side of it will probably be weird, but, at the same time I’m happy where I’m at and how things turned out.”
Mittelstadt needed little time after the trade in March to get acclimated with the Avs. He had 10 points in 18 regular-season games and then was consistently one of Colorado’s best players in the 2024 playoffs (three goals and nine points in 11 games).
He also got off to a hot start this season, despite the Avs being so shorthanded and Mittelstadt not getting to play with any of the club’s typical top-six wings at even strength. Mittelstadt had six goals and 15 points in the first 13 games.
But it’s now been six games without a point, and just three in his past 12. One of the league’s best passers, Mittelstadt hasn’t collected an assist at even strength since late October.
“It’s been probably the last eight or 10 games — probably not my best hockey for sure,” Mittelstadt said. “It’s a long season. I think you get caught in stretches like this, and it all feels like it will last for the whole year, but then you look back at it at the end of the year and it’s usually eight or 10 games.
“So I think the last few have been a little better, making some better plays. I definitely expect a lot more out of myself than what it’s been the last little bit here. I’ve been through stretches like this before though, and obviously gotten through them. You just keep working hard and trying to get better.”
Bednar mentioned that maybe a return to his old NHL home will help jumpstart Mittelstadt. The Avs already signed him to a three-year, $17.25 million contract. When the club is healthy, having him as the No. 2 center makes this arguably the best roster Colorado has had since the 2022 championship run.
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The Avs are not healthy (again), which does add more necessity to get Mittelstadt back on track.
“I think he’s in a little bit of a slump, if you want to call it that, right now,” Bednar said. “It’s just getting specific with some of the things that he’s doing to help his game and some of the things that he’s not doing or could be doing to help his game more.
“He’s just got to find a way to get a little bit more dangerous in the interior of the ice.”
Footnotes: Ross Colton (broken foot) skated with the team at the start of practice Monday. He’s traveling with the team on this five-game road trip, and could return to the lineup by the end of it. … Oliver Kylington has been downgraded from day-to-day to week-to-week. Neither he nor Josh Manson are going on the trip, so the Avs recalled Keaton Middleton to have a seventh defenseman on the road.
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