Just how many points will Casey Mittelstadt realistically rack up?

When you think of the Colorado Avalanche, three players immediately come to mind: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. And when you look at the numbers they consistently put up, why would a fan even think of anyone else? This trio is amazing, but so is one of the newer members of the Avs, and that’s former Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt. 

It’s hard to believe that this time two years ago, nobody in the NHL had a high opinion of Mittelstadt. Here he was, coming off of a 19-point season in 2021-22 across 40 games. Mittelstadt never seemed to find a way to stay healthy, and when he made it onto the ice, his play stagnated. 

Or at least that was the case until the 2022-23 season, but even early in the campaign, he looked finished as a Buffalo Sabre. Then a late-season surge happened, and Mittelstadt has been solid ever since, posting 15 goals and 59 points that year before turning around and ending 2023-24 after finding the net 18 times and logging 39 helpers. 

Sure, only 10 of those points came with Colorado, but he picked up his play in the postseason with three goals and nine points across 11 contests. Mittelstadt was also way more physical, and he showed that, yes, when the stakes are high, he will develop an edge to his game. 

Will Casey Mittelstadt set new career-highs with the Avalanche?

Say what you will about Casey Mittelstadt, who didn’t break out until his age-24 season after he seemingly struggled for a good five years in the City of Good Neighbours. While he and the rest of the Sabres at least looked relevant during the latter days of his run in Buffalo, Mittelstadt may have never showcased his true talents because he rarely had a good group around him, but that won’t be the case in Colorado. 

In Denver, Mittelstadt will have so much talent around him that it shouldn’t surprise anyone when he takes advantage of it. Still, he’s made a living as a supplementary talent, meaning he’ll likely be another Jonathan Drouin, who put up 19 goals and 56 points. Realistically, this is what we’ll see from Mittelstadt, even with a change of scenery. But if he put up at least 60-plus points, it wouldn’t surprise me. 

When he first came to Colorado, Mittelstadt had to learn on the fly, and he played rather well in doing so. Now in 2024-25, he’s at least found a role as a niche playmaker, and that should continue in Colorado even if he doesn’t put up all-world numbers.