3 recently traded pending free agents who could ignite the Red Wings in 2024-25
Casey Mittelstadt’s presence would ignite the lower lines
It could be wishful thinking to see Casey Mittelstadt hit the market and wind up in Detroit, mainly because the restricted free agent shouldn’t cost the Colorado Avalanche much to bring back into the system. But until he’s officially a member of the Avs for the next few seasons, let’s talk about Mittelstadt.
As a former member of the Buffalo Sabres, Red Wings fans should be familiar with the 2017 top-10 pick who looked like yet another draft pick who fell way short of expectations for the Blue and Gold. Then Mittelstadt figured out the NHL game, and he went on a roll in Buffalo and, later, Colorado.
Wouldn’t it be a best-case scenario to sign someone like Mittlestadt, who is young and proven to a lengthy deal at a fair price, where he can strengthen the Red Wings in all three zones while potentially acting as an even greater loss for the Sabres?
The downsides are that it would be tough to sign Mittelstadt to an offer sheet without the Avalanche matching it. Mittelstadt is also eligible for arbitration, and a new contract could come before a hearing even commences, so a lot must happen before it’s a strong possibility he signs with anyone else.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)