Colorado
Casey Mittelstadt can be more than just a solution to Avalanche’s second-line center problem
For the past two seasons, the Colorado Avalanche searched for an answer to its second-line center question.
When the 2024-25 campaign begins Wednesday night in Las Vegas, that spot in the lineup will no longer be a problem. Casey Mittelstadt is not only a solution, he could be a critical part of how the Avs navigate early uncertainty and why this club could make another run at a Stanley Cup once the roster is whole.
“I think he’s going to have a great year,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “He looks awesome. He’s a lot more comfortable around the room and on the ice. I think the sky’s the limit for him. There’s a lot of untapped potential.”
After Nazem Kadri left for Calgary following the Stanley Cup run in 2022, the Avs spent the next season and two-thirds looking for his replacement. Not having a guy who could anchor the second line behind MacKinnon was a significant flaw on a roster that didn’t have many.
Then, a bold move. Colorado traded Bo Byram, the best young player in the organization and the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, to Buffalo for Mittelstadt. He was also a top-10 pick, and like Byram hadn’t fulfilled all of his immense potential.
Mittelstadt played well upon arriving and looked at home during his first taste of Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey. The Avs locker room isn’t for everyone, but he was quickly embraced.
“Just coming for the playoffs, he didn’t have that in Buffalo, so he was just getting his feet wet,” said Jonathan Drouin, another new guy last season who found his place. “I think he did a great job. (Mittlestadt) works hard off the ice, he puts in the extra time on the ice after practice. I think it’s going to do wonders for him (to be here). He’s a hell of a player.”
With a new three-year, $17.25 million contract in tow, Mittelstadt is now part of Colorado’s core. When the Avalanche acquired him, general manager Chris MacFarland and coach Jared Bednar spoke of there being more for him to unlock in his game.
He set a career high with 59 points two seasons ago, and a new personal best with 18 goals last year.
“The main thing I want to work towards is being a very consistent player,” Mittelstadt said. “I think I’ve done a decent job with it over the last couple of years, but there’s obviously room for improvement. I feel like I’m in the right spot to do that. You see what the leaders do here and how they take care of themselves.
“I got here and thought I had it a little bit figured out, and then you learn a lot from these guys. I’m going to continue to try and learn and hopefully get better.”
The Avs generally like players to fit into one of two buckets offensively — either add speed and play fast, or help retain possession of the puck (or both, with guys like MacKinnon). Then there are “non-negotiables” as Bednar calls it, which pertain to the work on the defensive side.
Mittelstadt’s skillset looked like an instant fit for Colorado, particularly in the latter part of the offensive identity.
“His playmaking ability with the puck is honestly among the best I’ve ever seen,” Avs forward Logan O’Connor said. “He can stickhandle in a phone booth. It’s crazy impressive. For him, I think getting the end of last year and playoffs under his belt, it gives him less of a learning curve. You can see it out there with his playmaking and his 200-foot game. He’s a great asset to have.”
While Mittelstadt’s role with the Avs is clear, who is going to play with him is not. Eventually, it could be two of Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin and Gabe Landeskog, but none of them are currently available.
If Bednar decides to keep Drouin, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen together on the top line, the Avs will need Mittelstadt to anchor an uncertain second trio. He’s also likely to start the year filling in as the net-front guy on the top power-play unit.
The guy who was a potential answer to a long-standing question is now someone the club is going to need a lot of from. There could be some added pressure there, beyond just settling in with a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations.
“I don’t really look at it that way,” Mittelstadt said. “I rely on the fact that I worked really hard this summer and have for a while now. I’m going to put my trust in that hard work and play the best I can.”
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Originally Published:
The Colorado Buffaloes are still putting the finishing touches on their 2027 class over the next few months, but their 2028 recruiting plan continues to take shape.
Earlier this week, Deion Sanders’ staff extended an offer to one of the top prospects in the class of 2028, composite five-star wide receiver Jaylen Addai. Addai now holds 43 offers, including one from nearly every blue-blood program in the country.
247Sports’ Composite currently ranks Addai as the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2028 class, the No. 3 overall wide receiver and the top player from the state of Texas.
At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, the Pearland, Texas native fits the mold of the modern-day receiver. He seems likely to fill into his frame given his youth. Addai is a multiple-sport athlete with elite athleticism on the field, on the basketball court and on the track.
Given how early it is in Addai’s recruitment, several teams are in contention for his commitment, with Notre Dame and Ohio State leading the way early. When the 2028 cycle picks up later this year, who really has a chance should come into focus, especially when visits begin.
Colorado’s 2028 class does not have any commitments yet, but has offers out to 28 different wide receiver prospects.
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DENVER (KDVR) — New data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office shows that more than half of Colorado voters are now registered as unaffiliated, meaning they are not registered with a political party.
With the primary election just weeks away, those voters will need to decide whether to participate in the Democratic or Republican primary.
Colorado operates under a semi-open primary system, allowing unaffiliated voters to choose which party’s primary they want to vote in. With unaffiliated voters now making up the majority of registered voters in the state, their choices will play a significant role in election outcomes.
According to the Colorado County Clerks Association, the trend has been building since 2004, with voters continuing to leave both the Democratic and Republican parties to register as unaffiliated.
While an unaffiliated voter’s ballot choices remain private, the party primary they participate in does become part of their public voter registration record.
Unaffiliated voters also face some limitations. They cannot participate in party caucuses and cannot sign petitions for party candidates.
“I think the largest reason why we have so many unaffiliated voters is because people are intensely unhappy with both political parties, and they don’t want to be a part of it,” Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said. “And now with the primaries, they really don’t have to make that choice. They can just vote and then move on and not have to worry about some of the baggage and garbage that comes with being a member of a political party.”
Election officials are reminding unaffiliated voters that they received two ballots in the mail: one for the Republican primary and one for the Democratic primary. Voters should return only one ballot. If both ballots are submitted, neither vote will be counted.
If an unaffiliated voter casts a ballot in-person, the clerk will ask them which ballot they would like to cast.
The Colorado County Clerks Association also reminded voters that ballots must be received by Election Day, with the exception of military and overseas voters. Voters planning to return their ballots by mail should send them by the Tuesday before Election Day, one week in advance, to ensure they arrive on time.
Colorado
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