Avalanche's Casey Mittelstadt: Adds assist in loss

Mittelstadt notched an assist in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Bruins.

Mittelstadt remains the second-line center for now, but things could change. The Avalanche are thin down the middle, but their trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina freed up cap space that could allow them to add a top-six forward. Mittelstadt may also face some pressure from the players that were included in the return -- Martin Necas has mainly been a winger in the NHL but was developed as a center, and Jack Drury is a natural center who slotted in on the Avalanche's third line for this game. Mittelstadt has been a bit better in January with six points in 12 contests, but any slump could cost him ice time. He's at 30 points, 65 shots on net and a minus-13 rating through 50 outings overall.