Heading into the season, the Colorado Avalanche were missing several players due to injuries and other reasons. Yes, the Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen party showed up as usual, but they needed their young players and new acquisitions to step up. So far, one player has stood out. Casey Mittelstadt has been red hot on the second line and has helped give the Avalanche another offensive weapon to rely on. We could see a breakout season from him in 2024-25.
What Mittelstadt Showed Last Season
Mittelstadt was drafted eighth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres and played his first season the following year. However, his offence only took off in the 2022-23 season, with 15 goals and 59 points, making him an attractive trade asset for the budget-conscious Sabres. After losing Nazem Kadri in the 2022 offseason and struggling to find a replacement the following season, the Avalanche saw his potential and traded Bowen Byram in return for Mittelstadt at the 2024 trade deadline.
He only played 18 regular-season games after the trade, but (in a small sample size) the Avalanche got bang for their buck, with four goals and 10 points, including a power-play goal. He also stood out in his first-ever playoff appearance, with three goals and six assists in 11 games, and only two penalty minutes. His performance and confidence have shown the organization his value, which led to a three-year contract extension of $17.25 million.
Middelstadt Solid Second-Line Option
Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, and now Jonathan Drouin have all missed time to start the season, landing a significant blow to the Avalanche’s top six. To be successful, they needed their depth players to step up offensively, and Mittelstadt did just that, no matter where he landed in the lineup. He has four goals and five points in six games, including two points on the power play. He also matched his Avalanche goal total from last season and is halfway to his point total with the team.
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This season, rookie Calum Ritchie, Nikolai Kovalenko, Miles Wood, Logan O’Connor, Ross Colton, and Ivan Ivan have all been shuffled up and down the lineup alongside Mittelstadt. However, one combination has started to click: Kovalenko and O’Connor. Although it’s a relatively small sample size, the three have shown promise as the go-to second line.
With 21.9 minutes of ice time together, this forward line, second only to Colton-MacKinnon-Rantanen, has demonstrated impressive metrics, including a 50 expected goals percentage, 0.5 expected goals against and 1.37 expected goals for and against per 60 minutes. Hopefully, this line will continue rolling for the Avalanche until Drouin, Nichushkin and Lehkonen return.
Mittelstadt the Perfect Fit
When these players return, we could see a very strong top nine that particularly benefits Mittelstadt and his style of play. Playing with any one of Lehkonen, Nichushkin or Drouin would give him more weapons to either distribute and facilitate the puck to create scoring chances or have them pass him the puck for more opportunities. No disrespect to Kovalenko and O’Connor, who have performed well so far, but having them in the bottom six drastically impacts the depth of the forward group and makes everyone more dangerous offensively.
Mittelstadt set career-highs in goals and points in 2022-23. He is currently on pace for 55 goals and 14 assists. While this is impressive, realistically, Mittelstadt will likely finish with around 20 to 30 goals, and his assists will increase as the team becomes more cohesive and healthier. I believe he’s poised for another standout season, similar to his time in Buffalo, where he played alongside promising young talents like 20-year-old JJ Peterka and 21-year-old Jack Quinn. With a strengthened second line, they have the potential to replicate or even improve on last season’s performance.
General manager Chris MacFarland and president of hockey operations Joe Sakic knew what they were getting when they traded Byram for Mittelstadt. They needed a second-line center with experience but room to grow within the organization, and Mittelstadt is showing just that. At 25 years old, he is ready to make an impact, especially as the Avalanche focus on competing for another Stanley Cup. His ability to contribute now and continue growing alongside the team’s core will be essential for their success.