Casey Mittelstadt became a productive NHL player because his hands and his mind are among the best in the sport.

For the first time in his NHL career, Casey Mittelstadt entered Buffalo’s KeyBank Center’s away locker room after a morning skate. Mittelstadt, who played 339 games over seven seasons for the Sabres, was traded to the Avalanche on March 6, 2024, in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram.

With Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, Owen Power, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Mattias Samuelsson all signed to long-term contracts to be the team’s core, Mittelstadt knew he wasn’t going to be included in that.