The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired forward Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram.
Mittelstadt, 25, recorded 47 points (14g/33a) in 62 games for the Sabres this season, leading the club in both assists and points and ranking tied for sixth in goals. Suiting up in all 62 games for Buffalo, Mittelstadt leaves the Sabres also already having set career-highs for even-strength goals (12) and average time on ice (18:16).
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward has played 339 regular-season NHL games with the Sabres from 2017-24, registering 186 points (62g/124a). Last season, Mittelstadt set career-bests in both goals (15) and assists (44) while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. His 59 points marked a 40-point improvement from his 2021-22 output (6g/13a) as well as a 34-point improvement from his previous career-high of 25 points (12g/13a) from 2018-19.
During his stay in the Sabres’ organization, Mittelstadt also played 36 games for Buffalo’s AHL affiliate the Rochester Americans in 2019-20 where he tallied 25 points (9g/16a).
A native of Edina, Minnesota, Mittelstadt played one season for the NCAA’s Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2017-18 before signing his entry-level contract where he registered 30 points (11g/19a) in 34 games to rank second on the team in scoring as a freshman. He also competed for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2016-17 before joining the Golden Gophers.
On the international stage, Mittelstadt played for Team USA at the 2018 World Junior Championship where he led the team in scoring with 11 points (4g/7a) and captured a bronze medal. He was teammates with Avalanche prospect Riley Tufte.
Mittelstadt was drafted by Buffalo in the first round (eighth overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Byram played in 146 regular-season games with the Avalanche from 2020-24 and registered 63 points (23g/40a). He added 12 points (0g/12a) over 27 postseason games and was a member of the 2022 Stanley Cup Championship team with the Avalanche. He was selected by Colorado in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft.
