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KHL’s Dinamo Minsk Signs Xavier Ouellet

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Dinamo Minsk, the lone Belarusian team in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, announced the signing of defenseman Xavier Ouellet today. The French-born Canadian is a pending unrestricted free agent after completing a two-year, two-way deal with the Penguins.

Reports linked Ouellet to Minsk over the weekend. A second-round pick of the Red Wings back in 2011, the 30-year-old spent nearly a decade with them and the Canadiens before signing with Pittsburgh in free agency in 2022. He was placed on waivers to begin both seasons of his contract and spent the entirety of the deal on assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, not even landing an NHL call-up for injury insurance purposes.

As such, while Ouellet has been signed to an NHL contract every season since 2012-13, he hasn’t played in a major-league game since a six-game run with Montreal in 2020-21. He last avoided AHL assignment in 2017-18 with Detroit, serving as a bottom-pair/seventh defenseman for the Wings for a pair of campaigns. He’s made 178 total NHL appearances in parts of eight seasons, totaling five goals and 28 points with a -3 rating while averaging 16:07 per game.

He’d still played an important depth role for the Pens while a part of the organization, serving as an alternate captain with WBS for the past two seasons. He was named to the AHL All-Star Game in 2023 after posting 17 points in 29 games, but an injury ended his season after New Year’s. This season, he compiled 25 points with a +9 rating in 63 showings, finishing second to Ty Smith on the team in points from defensemen.

Ouellet now takes his services to Europe for the first time, assumedly on a one-year deal. Dinamo didn’t disclose the length of his contract. He links up with a handful of former minor-league mainstays in Minsk, including one-time leading point-getter Sam Anas, ex-Islanders center Tanner Fritz, and Flames pending Group 6 UFA defenseman Brady Lyle.

Maple Leafs Notes: Lambert, Edmundson, Lyubushkin

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Keep an eye on Lane Lambert as a name to join the Maple Leafs’ bench this offseason. The former Islanders bench boss is a candidate to land a role on new head coach Craig Berube’s staff in Toronto, Darren Dreger of TSN said Monday morning.

The Leafs have at least one vacancy to fill after assistant coach Manny Malhotra left to take a head coaching job with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. There’s a chance Berube could opt to make some other changes to the staff, including assistants Guy Boucher and Dean Chynoweth, later on. Their fourth assistant, Mike Van Ryn, is a logical choice to stay after working under Berube previously in St. Louis.

Lambert, 59, lasted about a year and a half during his first try as an NHL bench boss on Long Island. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Hurricanes in his first season behind the bench, and he was fired in January after going 19-15-11 to start 2023-24. He and Berube haven’t been on the same staff in their coaching careers.

He joins former Blues and Flames assistant Marc Savard, who parted ways with Calgary last month, as names linked to the Leafs’ bench already this offseason.

Elsewhere in Leafland:

  • Toronto has expressed interest in retaining trade pickup Joel Edmundson, but the pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman seems intent on testing the market next month, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. The 30-year-old hasn’t ruled out a return to the Leafs but wants to see what else is out there. He struggled with injuries after being picked up from the Capitals the day before the deadline, going without a point and logging a +3 rating in nine regular-season games. He had a decent showing in postseason play, averaging 18:40 in their seven-game loss to the Bruins while adding an assist and a -1 rating. The aging blue liner won a Stanley Cup with Berube as a member of the Blues in 2019.
  • The Leafs appear less likely to retain another depth defenseman, Ilya Lyubushkin, with Pagnotta reporting extension discussions haven’t started with free agency less than a month away. General manager Brad Treliving sent a third-round pick to the Ducks to bring the Russian blue-liner back for his second stint in Toronto, and he was one of their better defensemen in the postseason with three assists and a +4 rating against Boston while riding shotgun alongside Morgan Rielly on their top pairing. The shutdown defender totaled eight assists and a -11 rating in 74 games split between Anaheim and Toronto this season.

Stars Want To Re-Sign Matt Duchene, Chris Tanev

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The Stars are expected to try to extend veteran center Matt Duchene and trade deadline pickup Chris Tanev before they reach unrestricted free agency on July 1, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast.

Duchene, 33, was an unexpected latecomer to the free agent market last summer after the Predators bought out the final three seasons of his seven-year, $56MM contract. He landed with Dallas on a one-year, $3MM pact, a decision that paid dividends for both teams.

[RELATED: The Matt Duchene Buyout Was A Win-Win]

The 2009 third-overall pick continued his standard production level in a slightly limited role in the Lone Star State, putting up 25 goals and 65 points in 80 games while serving in a complementary role to other Stars talents like Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. He was limited to two goals and six points in 19 postseason games, but one of his snipes was a double-overtime winner against Colorado that sent Dallas to its second straight Western Conference Final.

Duchene would still have a home in Dallas’ top six next season, especially with the future another pending UFA, 39-year-old Joe Pavelski, hanging in the balance. Pavelski likely wouldn’t sign anywhere else this summer, but whether he returns for a 19th NHL season or heads for retirement is uncertain, Friedman said.

Tanev was also an invaluable piece for the Stars and was relied upon heavily by head coach Peter DeBoer after his acquisition from the Flames at the end of February. The 34-year-old scored seven points and a +13 rating in 38 regular-season and playoff games and averaged over 22 minutes per night in the postseason.

His return would firm up Dallas’ top four on defense next season with Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell. Veteran Ryan Suter also remains under contract for one more year at a $3.95MM cap hit, and 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel is expected to compete for a spot on the opening night roster after nearly making his NHL debut during the Western Conference Final.

Evolving Hockey’s contract projections yield a three-year, $7MM AAV deal for Duchene and a two-year, $3.9MM AAV deal for Tanev if they were both to remain in Dallas. That won’t be affordable for a team with just under $16MM in projected cap space with only 13 players on the roster, per CapFriendly, especially considering the 22-year-old Harley needs a new deal after his breakout 15-goal, 47-point season playing top-pairing duties alongside Heiskanen. Perennial GM of the year candidate Jim Nill would need to get creative with some cap-clearing trades or convince Duchene to take a significant discount to stay, something that may be feasible considering he’s still being paid $1.56MM by the Preds through 2029.

Jake Guentzel Likely To Test Free Agency

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Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel, nearly universally viewed as the second-best pending unrestricted free agent available, will likely still be on the market when July 1 hits, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

The possibility of returning to Carolina after the market opens hasn’t been ruled out, but he’s expected to look at other offers and potential fits around the league. His camp has had extensive extension talks with the Hurricanes since their season ended in the second round last month, but their richest offer evidently isn’t enough to keep him from at least window-shopping elsewhere.

Despite missing around a month due to injury, the 29-year-old is arguably coming off the best season of his career. After yet again putting up over a point per game on Sidney Crosby’s wing with the Penguins, Guentzel exploded after the move to Carolina, recording eight goals and 25 points in his final 17 regular-season games. He remained excellent in postseason play, tying for third on the team in scoring with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 games while logging the third-most ice time among forwards behind Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.

Guentzel also positively influenced the Hurricanes’ already strong possession game. With him on the ice at even strength, the Hurricanes controlled 60.2% of shot attempts, 1.5% higher than their shot attempt share without him. The 2013 third-round pick also had a positive relative possession impact in all eight of his seasons in Pittsburgh.

He also hit the 30-goal mark for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career overall. While his market value won’t eclipse Panthers pending UFA winger Sam Reinhart, who’s coming off a career-best 57 goals, he’s undoubtedly a safer signing with a long track record of point-per-game play under his belt. His short stint thus far in Carolina certainly boosts his value, proving he can still produce elite numbers away from one of the game’s all-time greats.

Former Hurricanes GM Don Waddell managed to acquire Guentzel from the Penguins without parting with a first-round pick, but he did surrender solid complementary winger Michael Bunting and a trio of prospects with NHL ceilings. His value on the open market could very well eclipse the $9.5MM mark on a max-term deal, though.

That’s money the Hurricanes’ interim management group of AGMs Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, and owner Tom Dundon may not be willing to commit with Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teräväinen also headed for free agency this summer, among many others. However, as Pagnotta reports, there were no mid-season extension discussions with Teräväinen, and his camp is expected to make a call next week on pursuing a last-minute agreement in Carolina or joining Guentzel in heading to market.

Guentzel is completing a five-year, $30MM extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2018. The Nebraska native and Nebraska-Omaha collegiate product led all players in playoff scoring with 13 goals in 25 games as a rookie in 2017, helping the Pens win their second of back-to-back championships.

Jarmo Kekalainen Linked To Hurricanes’ GM Vacancy

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The Hurricanes are considering hiring former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen to fill their vacancy, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Speaking on the “32 Thoughts” podcast on Monday, Friedman said Kekäläinen is a “contender” for the position. Their GM vacancy was created last month after Don Waddell resigned from his post, joining Columbus to replace Kekäläinen within days.

Kekäläinen, 57, is the first external candidate firmly connected to the Carolina opening. He was fired from his post in Columbus in February after 11 years with the organization.

It’s unclear if the Hurricanes have obtained permission to interview him from the Blue Jackets yet, but it would make sense as a virtual GM-for-GM trade. Carolina’s assistant GMs under Waddell, Eric Tulsky and Darren Yorke, are also strong contenders to replace Waddell, with the former serving as interim GM in his absence.

Notably, Friedman said the candidate pool for Waddell’s replacement isn’t terribly large due to how the organization wants to structure its front office. The team has made it clear to potential candidates that, unlike with other teams, their GM won’t be their sole primary decision-maker. Instead, they’ll work in a more collaborative environment with AGMs and owner Tom Dundon, with their main duties being facilitating communication with other teams. Evidently, that hasn’t scared off Kekäläinen, but Friedman reports it has swayed a few candidates away from having an interest in the role.

It’s also the first opening Kekäläinen has been connected to in earnest since his firing. While it’s been a tough go in Columbus lately, he did oversee the longest sustained period of success in franchise history, helping construct a Jackets roster that made the playoffs four years in a row from 2017 to 2020.

With Waddell heading over to Columbus, the Canes are the only team with an active GM vacancy. The Oilers are likely to end up with one after the Stanley Cup Final ends with Ken Holland in the final year of his contract and not expected to return.

Poll: Who Will Win The Stanley Cup Final?

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After a pair of conference championship-clinching games over the weekend, the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is set. The Oilers will play the Panthers in Sunrise, Florida, for Game 1 on Saturday night.

The storyline for Florida is clear – avenge last season’s defeat. Unlike last year, when they upset their way to the Final to meet with the Golden Knights, the Panthers have home-ice advantage after a 110-point regular season and an Atlantic Division title.

They’ve brought a deeper roster back to the dance compared to last year’s squad, but perhaps more importantly, they’ve brought a healthier contingent (for now). Top-four stalwarts Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour played through shoulder injuries for most of last year’s playoffs (as well as a foot injury for Ekblad), but there’s no indication any key players are playing through major ailments this time around.

Florida also comes back with the knowledge of what not to do. Last year’s series against Vegas wasn’t particularly close – they were outscored 26-12 in a five-game loss and allowed five or more goals in all three road games. That’ll be an important learning experience as they try to overcome their existing 1-8 franchise record in Stanley Cup Final games, including a sweep at the hands of the Avalanche in 1996.

For the second year in a row, Matthew Tkachuk leads the Cats in playoff scoring. He hasn’t scored goals at the torrid pace he did in 2023, but his 14 assists and 19 points in 17 games are the most on the team. Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are also producing at a point per game through 17 contests, and top pending unrestricted free agent Sam Reinhart is second on the team in goals behind Verhaeghe with eight.

And while he hasn’t been quite as dominant as last year’s Cinderella run, future Hall of Fame candidate Sergei Bobrovsky gives Florida an unquestionable advantage between the pipes. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is again putting together an above-average postseason showing for the Cats, logging a .908 SV%, 2.20 GAA, and one shutout with a 12-5 record. He’s been the only goalie to take the ice for the Panthers through three rounds and has stopped 1.3 goals above average, continuing to undo the narrative created by his past postseason collapses with the Blue Jackets and Flyers.

Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner is coming off the best game of his life, stopping 34 of 35 shots last night in Edmonton to send his team to their first Final in 18 years, but is that enough to give him the benefit of the doubt? He’s certainly entering the championship series on a hot streak, putting up a .923 SV% in six games against the Stars, but his numbers on the whole this postseason (.897 SV%, -3.1 GSAA) are still inferior.

As they did against Dallas, the Oilers will need their generational stars to erase their major depth-scoring disadvantage. Their big three of Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are truly putting together the runs of legends, with Bouchard’s 27 points and +14 rating in 18 games from the blue line likely putting him in the Conn Smythe conversation.

Like in the regular season, McDavid isn’t scoring goals at a breakneck pace, but his raucous 26 assists in 18 games give him 31 points and the league lead in playoff scoring. That’s not to discount his ability to put the puck in the net, which he universally reminded everyone of with a highlight-reel goal to open the scoring in last night’s Game 6 win (video link).

So, with the matchups set and the entire week to file your official predictions away, who do you think will finish the season with the Stanley Cup lifted over their heads? Tell us in the poll below, and discuss in the comments.

Mobile users, click here to vote!

Featured images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

2024 Key Offseason Dates

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With free agency now set to open within a month, it’s time to look at the flowchart for another extremely compact offseason. Below are some notable dates and deadlines to watch for as all but the Oilers and Panthers begin their offseason preparations in earnest.

June 3 – June 8

NHL Scouting Combine

June 8

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

June 24

The last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final.

48 hours after Stanley Cup Final ends

The first buyout window (and the only buyout window for teams without any arbitration filings) opens. Teams can spread out two-thirds of their remaining base salary over twice the remaining length of their deal for players 26 and older and one-third for players 25 and younger. The players must first be placed on unconditional waivers before being bought out unless they have a no-move clause.

This also marks the deadline for the first club-elected salary arbitration window. If a team elects for arbitration with an eligible pending restricted free agent in this window, it serves as a qualifying offer.

June 27

2024 NHL Awards

June 28

Round 1 of the 2024 NHL Draft

June 29

Rounds 2-7 of the 2024 NHL Draft

June 30, 4 p.m. CT

Deadline for teams to tender qualifying offers to their pending RFAs. Those who don’t receive QOs will become unrestricted free agents the following day.

This is also the end of the first buyout window afforded to teams. Clubs dealing with arbitration filings will have a second buyout window lasting 48 hours beginning three days after the later of the settlement of the team’s final arbitration case or the receipt of the team’s last arbitration award. In this window, a buyout can only be performed on a player who was on the team’s reserve list at 2 p.m. CT on March 8 (trade deadline day) and has a cap hit of at least $4MM in the 2024 offseason.

July 1, 11 a.m. CT

The new league year begins, and players on expiring contracts officially become restricted/unrestricted free agents.

July 5, 4 p.m. CT

Deadline for eligible RFAs to file for salary arbitration.

July 5, 4:01 p.m. CT – July 6, 4 p.m. CT

The second window for clubs to file for salary arbitration with eligible RFAs.

July 15, 4 p.m. CT

Qualifying offers expire unless extended in writing by the team. Even if unsigned, teams retain qualified players’ signing rights.

July 20 – August 4

Salary arbitration hearings are held.

August 15, 4 p.m. CT

Exclusive signing rights for unsigned graduated college-drafted players expire.

Evening Notes: Myers, Graves, Alfredsson

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Ben Kuzma of The Vancouver Province writes that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is hoping to re-sign with the Canucks and remain in Vancouver. The 34-year-old had his best season in Vancouver, playing in a reduced role that saw him average less than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career. The reduced playing time benefitted Myers and he posted five goals and 24 assists in 77 games which were his best numbers since his last year in Winnipeg back in 2018-19.

Kuzma writes that Myers is projected for a $3MM AAV on a three-year deal which would be much more palatable than the $6MM that Myers made this past season. If the Canucks can lock Myers up around that number it will allow them to pivot to their remaining free-agent defenseman Ian Cole, Filip Hronek, and Nikita Zadorov.

In other evening notes:

  • After a poor first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Graves became a lightning rod for criticism from fans of the team. Dan Kingerski writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be best to avoid buying out the remaining five years of the contract which would lead to an annual cost of $750K for the next ten years. Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas has stated in the past that he prefers trades to buyouts and given the season that Graves just had it would be nearly impossible to find a trade partner unless the Penguins agree to take back a bad contract. The Penguins have a need for a top-6 forward as well as some depth scoring on their bottom two lines and have just under $13MM in available cap space. Moving Graves would go a long way to opening up the room to maneuver, but given the circumstances, it seems likely that he will be with the team next season.
  • Ottawa Senators great Daniel Alfredsson is leaning towards returning to his assistant coaching role next season under new head coach Travis Green (as per Bruce Garrioch). The franchise’s all-time leading scorer was brought back to the franchise in a player-development role, but that role was changed when the Senators relieved previous head coach D.J. Smith of his duties. The Senators will have to fill out their coaching staff and have been linked to former NHL head coach Mike Yeo as well as former NHLer and current Manitoba Moose assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner.

Free Agent Focus: Seattle Kraken

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Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free-agent situation for the Kraken.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Matthew Beniers – Beniers took a step back this past season after being asked to carry the offensive load for a team that lacks a high-end offensive threat. Beniers dropped from 24 goals and 33 assists in 80 games during the 2022-23 season to just 15 goals and 22 assists in 77 games this past season. While it was a disappointing campaign for the 21-year-old, Beniers remains on track to become an elite scorer in the NHL. The former second overall pick seemed like a lock to get a long-term deal this summer, but given his struggles last year, and his iffy work in the defensive zone, it might hurt his earning potential in the short term. Seattle may still elect to lock Beniers up long-term while he’s coming off a down season, but a bridge deal could be likely as well. Beniers figures to earn $4-5MM on his next deal if he goes for a short-term deal and would likely have a higher AAV if he goes for max term.

F Eeli Tolvanen – Tolvanen has been a very different player since arriving in Seattle from the Nashville Predators during the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old had shown glimpses in Nashville but was never able to put it all together and struggled in his last two seasons with the Predators. With the Kraken, the former first-round pick has played a physical game, keeping plays alive with his physicality and being a force in board battles. On the offensive side, Tolvanen had 16 goals and 25 assists last season in 81 games and continued to trend upwards. He made $1.45MM last season in the final year of a three-year deal and figures to double that number on his next deal which should come with a similar term.

F Kailer Yamamoto – Yamamoto’s offensive game dropped another level this season as he fell to just eight goals and eight assists in 59 games. The former first-round pick signed with Seattle last season after being traded and bought out of the final season of his contract. With his qualifying offer set at $1.5MM, Seattle may elect to run it back one more time with the talented 25-year-old to see if he can post similar results to the ones he saw in Edmonton two seasons ago. Yamamoto is undersized and is average defensively if you are being generous, but he is very effective on the power play and plays with good pace, something that Seattle could use more of.

Other RFAs: C Luke Henman, F Ville Petman, D Peetro Seppala

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare – Bellemare signed with the Kraken last July for the league minimum on a one-year contract and playing sparingly, producing four goals and three assists in 40 games. At 39 years old, Bellemare might be ready to hang up his skates; however, given that he was 29 years old when he made his NHL debut, he might choose to extend his career if he can find an NHL contract. The native of Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, played just under 10 minutes per game last season, but his underlying numbers at even strength were quite good, as his CF% was 54.9%. Bellemare doesn’t provide much offense and never really has, he also isn’t particularly physical, but he could be a good 13th forward for a team that is looking for a veteran presence.

D Justin Schultz – Schultz is well removed from his days in Pittsburgh when he quarterbacked the Penguins power play to a Stanley Cup. However, he remains a talented offensive defenseman who doesn’t offer much defensively. Schultz is still very good at skating pucks out of the defensive zone and offering a solid first pass, but he struggles when pinned in the defensive zone and doesn’t play with much physicality. Schultz should find work on a multi-year deal due to his right shot status as well as his ability to man a power play.

F Tomas Tatar – Tatar had to wait until September 12th last summer to find an NHL contract, signing a one-year $1.5MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He then proceeded to have a forgettable season that saw him score just nine goals and 15 assists in 70 games. The 33-year-old is unlikely to do better this summer, given that his game is built largely on offense, and he wasn’t able to provide much of it last year. A knock-on Tatar has been his consistency year to year, but he is still a good buy-low candidate for a team that needs to add secondary scoring but doesn’t have much in the way of cap space.

Other UFAs: D Connor Carrick, G Chris Driedger, F John Hayden, F Cameron Hughes, F Kole Lind, LW Max McCormick, C Andrew Poturalski, D Mitch Reinke, D Jimmy Schuldt, F Devin Shore, G Ales Stezka, F Marian Studenic

Projected Cap Space

The Kraken enter the offseason with a tad over $23MM in available cap space and several pending needs to address. A chunk of that space will go to re-signing restricted free agents, but after their internal business is complete, Seattle will have some cap space to make improvements. The Kraken have good depth up front, but lack high-end talent which could lead them to make a pitch to a player such as Sam Reinhart even though it would eat most of their available room under the cap. Seattle will also need to address their defensive core and will be in the market for an offensive defenseman with the likely departure of Justin Schultz. Seattle will feel pressure to have a strong summer after taking a step back and missing the playoffs this past season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Avalanche’s Casey Mittelstadt Filled A Role Worth Re-Signing

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The 2024 Trade Deadline was dominated by the Vegas Golden Knights, who weren’t satisfied with just one blockbuster trade when they acquired Noah Hanifin, so they doubled down by acquiring Tomas Hertl, ending his 11 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. Their antics helped suppress a lot of other big moves around the Deadline, including what could go down as the biggest deal of the season: the swap of Bowen Byram and Casey Mittelstadt between the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres. It’s rare to see two former top-10 picks traded before the age of 26, much less in a one-for-one swap, and with such major implications. In this move, the Sabres fought to find Rasmus Dahlin’s dynamic partner of the future, while the Avalanche hoped to solidify their top-six.

Thus, Byram immediately rivaled top pairing minutes in Buffalo, while Mittelstadt was awarded the role of Nathan MacKinnon’s understudy on Colorado’s second line. And through the fog of trade debate, the move seemed like a strong recognition of Mittelstadt’s potential. He posted a career-high 59 points in the 2022-23 season, finally living up to his eighth-overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft after years of bouncing around the Sabres offense. The Avalanche chose to bite on that upside, while also moving out their own promising-but-inconsistent youngster, and they’ve been richly rewarded early on.

Mittelstadt was quickly a great match in Jared Bednar’s system, posting 10 points through 18 regular season games following his trade to Colorado. He looked much more confident and consistent than during his time in Buffalo, even reasonably elevating wingers Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin when deployed alongside them. After finding his footing in the NHL with the Sabres, Mittelstadt seemed to take off with the Avalanche – a sentiment he stamped with a powerful postseason performance, scoring nine points in 11 games.

The strong performance was undoubtedly exciting for the Avalanche, who’ve struggled to find consistent center depth behind MacKinnon since losing Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames in 2022’s free agency. The duo of Evan Rodrigues and Alex Newhook platooned in the role during the 2022-23 season, to mostly good effect, with Rodrigues posting 39 points in 69 games. That tandem now pales in comparison to Mittelstadt, who totaled 57 points in 80 games this season and could be poised to top the 60-point mark for the first time in his career next year. But nothing can come too easily in the NHL, and the Avalanche will now face re-signing Mittelstadt before they can boast their second-line center of the future.

 

Mittelstadt is likely Colorado’s most expensive free agent entering the summer, though he’ll be rivaled by defenseman Sean Walker, who’s role in the top-four will command a high price tag in itself. Colorado has roughly $15.92MM in cap space entering the summer, with just nine players facing free agency. That should be enough for them to re-sign their choice of pending free agents. But the importance of inking Mittelstadt can’t be understated. Kadri broke out in Colorado’s second-line role during the 2021-22 season, recording 87 points in 71 games – a mark that remains his career-high. He’s since moved to the Calgary Flames on a commendable seven-year, $49MM contract.

After spending the last two seasons without a consistent man in the role, Mittelstadt could finally be the one to succeed Kadri’s strong performance. The Avalanche will certainly hope that’s the case, as they face uncertainty about the future of both Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. Mittelstadt and veteran winger Jonathan Drouin could be a convenient – albeit unexpected – fill-in for those absences, though both players are in need of new contracts.

The Colorado offense isn’t in need of much help. Superstars MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar have shown an ability to lead the team through anything – made evident by the Avalanche leading the league in scoring this season. But the team can’t rest on laurels, even if their current core has already won one Stanley Cup. Mittelstadt offers a chance for the Avalanche to fill a much-needed role in the lineup for the forseeable future – which would come well-timed as the team faces a Rantanen extension next summer and a new contract for Makar in 2027. With lucrative contract negotiations, the swap of Byram and Mittelstadt could add yet another pillar to the Colorado lineup – with the added perk of making Landeskog and Nichushkin’s returns a boost, rather than a necessity.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Network.

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