The Colorado Avalanche made a couple of key tweaks ahead of the March 8 NHL trade deadline, and it's paying off in a huge way. The Avs have won eight games in a row to take over the top spot in the Central Division, sporting a sparkling 45-20-5 record through 70 games. Although the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets will have something to say about the divisional crown down the stretch, it's been an excellent 2023-24 campaign in Denver. This roster is looking like a legitimate Stanley Cup favorite with 12 games left in the regular-season.
Obviously, the team lives and dies by Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar, and all three superstars have been red hot along with the squad as of late. Look no further than Mack keeping his outrageous home point streak alive after scoring a breakaway goal in a 6-1 drubbing of the Columbus Blue Jackets at Ball Arena on March 22. The Hart Trophy favorite added an assist in the dominant victory, making it 33 home games in a row with at least one point. Ridiculous.
But the supporting cast — which has been a huge question mark over the past couple of seasons — has improved drastically over the last couple of weeks. And Colorado's general manager deserves a ton of credit for a few savvy deadline moves.
Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland may have won trade deadline
Chris MacFarland was one of the busiest GMs ahead of the 2024 deadline, and the moves he made solidified this club as — at minimum — Stanley Cup contenders. The Avs acquired Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers, Brandon Duhaime from the Minnesota Wild and Yakov Trenin from the Nashville Predators.
All three players have looked solid in Denver, with Walker looking especially potent on the third pairing along with Jack Johnson. He's already probably the team's best defensive player, and has chipped in a very respectable two goals and three points in his first two weeks in Colorado.
But MacFarland made another addition at the deadline, one of the most surprising moves of any team. He shipped young D-man and Stanley Cup champion Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres, bringing over former No. 9 overall pick Casey Mittelstadt in the midst of a career-best year. The deal was a one-for-one.
The 25-year-old American hasn't missed a beat with his new squad. Here are three reasons why Mittelstadt's addition to the 2023-24 Avalanche is a perfect fit for both player and club.
Casey Mittelstadt gives Avalanche a legitimate 2C
The Avalanche have been desperate for a capable second-line center ever since the electric 2022 Stanley Cup run. Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog were absolutely massive pieces of that championship team, and neither has played a game for Colorado since. Kadri took his talents to Calgary and the Flames, while Colorado's captain has struggled mightily with a knee injury, even needing a cartilage transplant in his right knee last May. He's a question mark to even play in the playoffs, and after being off for almost two full seasons, there's no guarantee he can return to the elite two-way level he showcased in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Avs have tried multiple players at the vacant 2C role, including Ryan Johansen, who ended up being shipped to Philly in the Walker trade, and Ross Colton, who is much better suited to third line matchups and minutes. But Mittelstadt, who has scored a seriously impressive 16 goals and 52 points in 68 games this season, looks to be up to the task.
He's currently manning the 2C role, flanked by Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen, and the results speak for themselves. Mittelstadt is on a five-game point streak, and he continues to produce points in that role despite no longer being utilized on the top powerplay unit. That may change, but in his current role, Mittelstadt looks to be right at home.
Can play key 3C role if Gabriel Landeskog returns
On top of that, if Landeskog is able to make a return for the postseason, Mittelstadt could easily move down to the third-line. He's used to that role in Buffalo, and although he looks to have outgrown it, he would certainly be one of the league's better 3Cs for a potentially deep playoff run.
He's also good on faceoffs, and sports a +19 rating this season. It's a true breakout campaign for the youngster, and Mittelstadt looks to already have a great grasp on the Avalanche's system. As one of the league's highest-flying offensive teams, it's hard to picture a better landing spot for a player looking to take the next step in the National.
Offensive-minded game a perfect match for Colorado's style
There's no hotter team in the NHL than the Colorado Avalanche, and they're well-positioned to make a President's Trophy run over the last couple of weeks of the season. They're just two points back of the Boston Bruins as of March 23, and just one back of the Vancouver Canucks for the top spot in the Western Conference.
At this stage, the Avs could be better than both of those teams. They've been there before, they know how to win, and they've brought players into the fold who badly want a Stanley Cup of their own. Of course, one of those players is Casey Mittelstadt. There's no team in the league that has scored more goals than Colorado this season; the club is boasting 3.74 tallies per game, which is a prolific clip and has not slowed down at all as of late.
The 2023-24 Avalanche are going to be a very tough out in the playoffs, and it will be Mittelstadt's first taste of postseason hockey. He's going to be more motivated than any other time in his professional career to capture a championship. And whether it's playing at 2C or 3C, he's already looking like a perfect fit in a potent lineup.
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