Evan Rawal
I believe the Colorado Avalanche have found their answer at second-line center in Casey Mittelstadt, but after watching a lot of his tape, I have a feeling he might be a bit of an acquired taste for Avalanche fans.
The highlight reel passes are there. If you’re on the ice and even slightly open, Mittelstadt will see you and try to hit you with a pass. As for the rest of his game, it might not be anything that jumps out at you immediately. I really liked what I saw, because he comes across as a very cerebral player, but he’s not an in-your-face guy like Nazem Kadri, so it may take Avalanche fans a bit of time to get used to him. There are a lot of subtleties to his game that don’t stand out immediately, and that’s okay.
But don’t let me tell you. Let me show you.
Highlight Reel
I wanted to start with the highlight reel to hype everyone up before going to the rest of his game.
If you get open, especially on the backdoor, then Mittelstadt is going to find you. He’s got tremendous vision on the ice and has the ability to lay perfect passes for his linemates, if they can find a way to get open. Heck, they don’t even have to be open. Look at that flip pass to Greenway. That’s not quite on the level of what Peter Forsberg had done previously, but still pretty sweet.
Ryan Johansen was brought in to be a playmaker, but he didn’t show any of that in Colorado. Mittelstadt shouldn’t have an issue showcasing what he can do.
Sneaky Passing
One of the hardest passes to hit in the NHL is to find that guy who gets open in the high slot for just half a second. Mittelstadt finds that guy frequently, or at least he did in Buffalo. He can thread the needle and hit guys in tight spots, so you have to be ready.
These aren’t passes where he sits and thinks about it for a minute. He gets the puck and immediately the vision and the instincts kick in, finding the open lanes and hitting his teammates. These aren’t easy passes to make, and not everyone even wants to attempt them. Mittelstadt has the skill, hockey IQ, and creativity to not only attempt them, but make them work.
There’s a reason why Bednar sees him as similar to Jonathan Drouin, and I’ll get to that more later.
Better Puck Protector Than You’d Think
One of the bigger surprises I came across when watching Mittelstadt is how solid he is along the wall. That’s a part of his game that has really grown in the last few years. He’s not a small guy at 6’1″, 195 pounds, but he’s not exactly a big guy. You never know what you’re going to get along the boards with someone like that, but I was pleasantly surprised.
He’s really strong at protecting the puck, shielding off defenders to create some space for himself, and a lot of times it comes against defenders bigger than him. I love the second and third clips here, where he just waits for the defenders to come towards him and uses that to his advantage. It’s a subtle thing, but it opens up space for him to create.
Good Shot…If He’ll Use It
I found two clips of Mittelstadt scoring in the five games I watched, and quite frankly, these might have been the only two times he actually shot the puck.
The Avalanche are going to start him on a line with Jonathan Drouin on Friday night, but I’m not sure how good a fit that will be. Is Valeri Nichushkin going to be the only guy shooting on that line? It might not work all that well.
The thing is that Mittelstadt has a pretty good shot, he’s just got to use it a bit more.
Won’t Give Up The Puck
One of the things that Bednar mentioned about Mittelstadt is that he “doesn’t like to give up the puck.”
You can say that again.
Time and time again, Mittelstadt made every effort to avoid dumping the puck in. That’s how the Avalanche want to play. They want to hold onto the puck, they want to maintain possession, and they want to make plays. If he’s surrounding with good players, Mittelstadt is going to make A LOT of good plays in Colorado, especially with a defense that loves to get involved. I love the clip against Vegas where he could have easily dumped it in, but instead, just sent it back to his defense to regroup while he changed. You want the puck, you don’t want to have to chase it, and Mittelstadt likes to play with the puck.
Sneaky Stick
I believe that Valeri Nichushkin and Casey Mittelstadt will be a dangerous duo for the Avalanche. Mittelstadt is a smart, smart player, but he also has a sneaky good stick. I’m imagining Nichushkin flying in on the forecheck and Mittelstadt’s stick work creating turnovers for the Avalanche.
Some of his best hockey, when I watched him, came while playing with Alex Tuch, who is another big guy who can fly up and down the ice. They’re a perfect fit together.
Don’t Expect Much Physicality
If you’re expecting some physicality from Mittelstadt, you’ll come away pretty disappointed. While his game along the wall is surprisingly good, he’s not going to throw his body around. Just set your expectations on what type of player he is.
VERDICT
I really, really love cerebral hockey players, so that’s why I’m a fan of Mittelstadt. However, he’s not the type of guy who is going to jump out at you every single shift he’s on the ice, so I believe it will take Avalanche fans a minute to get used to his game. You can see the passing, you can see the vision, but Nazem Kadri set the bar high for fans when it comes to what to expect from someone playing behind Nathan MacKinnon, and Mittelstadt is a very different player.
He’s not slow like Ryan Johansen, but he’s not a burner. He’s not small, but he’s not a big guy. He’ll frustrate you with his unwillingness to shoot the puck, but dazzle you with his playmaking ability. He’s good in the defensive zone, but a lot of that comes from smart positioning more than anything else. He’s just not going to jump out at you all the time, but he’s effective.
And his willingness and ability to hold onto the puck to make plays will pay major dividends for the Avalanche. Not just now, but for the immediate future, because he’s not going anywhere.
He’s a 2C. The search is over.