The Colorado Avalanche believes it found the long-term solution at a key position, but finding the right contract for Casey Mittelstadt could be tricky.
Colorado Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt during warmups before the game against the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, April 09, 2024. The Colorado Avalanche believes it found the long-term solution at a key position just before the 2024 NHL trade deadline. Figuring out how to lock in that player on the right contract is an integral part of this offseason.
“He’s been unreal,” Nathan MacKinnon said during the playoff series against Winnipeg. “I just love his competitive level.” This is an interesting point in his career to be signing a new contract. He was the eighth pick in his draft class, but the early part of his career with the Buffalo Sabres didn’t go as planned — that’s partly how he ended up with a “bridge” contract. Young players coming off an entry-level contract typically sign longer deals that eat into unrestricted free-agent years when a team is ready to commit to them as a core piece.
Some players similar to Mittelstadt have signed a long-term contract in similar situations. The Avs haven’t had a lot of time with Mittelstadt compared to some of the other players on this list, but there are guys who fit a similar career path — flashes of promise with one team, then becoming a better player with the second club.We’ve got five guys who all signed pretty similar contracts. Zacha and Strome were also top-10 picks. Both found more success after leaving the club that drafted them.
Every player on this list produced more during their current contracts than they did in the two years before. The Avs said they believe Mittelstadt has more in him after the trade. Some of that will come down to opportunity — he played more than two minutes less per game in Colorado as the clear No. 2C than in Buffalo where he had some top-line duty.
Nichushkin’s deal does not count against the cap while he’s out, so the Avs could sign those two deals, fill out the roster and easily be cap compliant on opening night. But assuming Nichushkin returns at some point after mid-November, the Avs would need to do something drastic to get back below the cap ceiling unless a key player is injured enough to be on long-term injured reserve.
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