According to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, the Colorado Avalanche have agreed to a 3-year extension with pending UFA center Casey Mittelstadt, which comes with a $5.75M per season cap hit.
Mittelstadt, the 8th overall pick in the 2017 draft, has recorded 66 goals and 196 points in his 357-game NHL career. Despite being 25 years old, he has yet to reach the 60-point mark in a single season, suggesting that his potential may have peaked. Meanwhile, Bertuzzi has posted 113 goals and 261 points in 406 NHL games and has achieved multiple 20-goal seasons, including a 30-goal season in 2021-22.
Mittelstadt cap hit reduces the chances of the Leafs re-signing Bertuzzi at a similar cap hit, and it's anticipated that Bertuzzi's new deal will exceed the $6M mark. The Leafs face significant challenges in addressing their defensive needs and extending Max Domi, along with finding a backup goalie for Joseph Woll, who is set to sign a 3-year extension on July 1st. All of this have to be accomplished with only $19.7M in cap space. The Mittelstadt deal may have effectively pushed Bertuzzi out of the picture for Toronto.
