There is no player more excited to play for the Colorado Avalanche than Casey Mittelstadt. In a recent piece by NHL.com, Mittelstadt opened up about his desire to remain with the Colorado Avalanche.
Mittelstadt was a trade deadline acquisition last year. He arrived from the Buffalo Sabres in early March last year in exchange for Bowen Byram.
Mittelstadt suited up for 18 regular season contests and then for 11 more in the postseason. That experience was enough to encourage him to stay in Colorado for the long haul. In fact, Mittelstadt was so excited to play for the Avalanche that he asked his agent to get a contract extension done as soon as possible.
Mittelstadt was quoted by NHL.com as saying:
“I was definitely excited to get it done. definitely told my agent to make this quicker rather than longer.”
Of course, getting fair market value for his services was important. But securing his future with the Avalanche was more so.
This season, Mittelstadt is focused on becoming a better player. He spent the summer on his condition, gearing up for this upcoming season. With the stiff competition in the Western Conference, the Avs will need Mittelstadt in tip-top shape.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar had this to say about Mittelstadt’s conditioning effort:
“I think he’s another guy that had a big off-season when it comes to conditioning and what he needed to do in order to take his game to another level.”
So, what does it mean for Mittelstadt to take his game to another level? Well, that next level begins with him cementing himself as the team’s second-line center. Then, the sky’s the limit. Perhaps an 80 or 90-point season could be on the horizon for the 25-year-old Minnesota native.
Casey Mittelstadt's intelligence is an asset
While Mittelstadt’s physical conditioning and hockey skills are crucial, his mind is a tremendous asset. When asked to describe Mittelstadt, Bednar had this to say about the centerman:
“He’s an intelligent player so he picks up on the systematic stuff right away.”
The “systematic stuff” entails learning how Bednar expects his players to react on the ice and play within the team’s structure.
Thankfully, that’s not an issue with Mittelstadt. He’s willing to put the work in to get up to speed. Mittelstadt stated the following:
“More than anything, I want to really learn the system in depth.” Mittelstadt added, “And I think last year I learned a lot, but there’s still so much to learn.”
Mittelstadt and the Avalanche have a long way to go this season before reaching the postseason. In the meantime, there is no shortage of willingness to put in the hard work to get there.