Casey Mittelstadt trying to start over again in Boston after perplexing Avalanche stint

Two things have perpetually been true for Casey Mittelstadt in his hockey career He can be too hard on himself but he consistently digs his way out of a slump through hard work Then he encountered a rough patch unlike anything he d ever experienced last year with the Colorado Avalanche It cost him a chance to settle at a place he thought might become home It also gave him time to reflect on a whirlwind two years that saw him uprooted twice and helped him realize that when times get tough he requirements to work on putting down the shovel Sometimes you almost care too much and it s better to go out and play carefree and not worry about the consequences as much Mittelstadt stated It s something I ve struggled with I would say my whole career not just even pro hockey Something I m definitely working on and going to continue to work on I think all of us are so competitive and to specific degree we re all perfectionists Sometimes you get a little hard on yourself and get in that hole Mittelstadt returned to Ball Arena with the Boston Bruins on Saturday back to the site of the worst hole he s ever encountered He arrived in Denver in a shocking business that saw the Avs send their best young competitor defenseman Bo Byram to Buffalo for Mittelstadt who was expected to be part of the core of the next great Sabres organization It was the type of one-for-one challenge transaction of young players with immense likely that rarely happens in the NHL Mittelstadt was the next in line to fill the No center position behind Nathan MacKinnon The contract looked like a home run for the Avs Mittelstadt fit in with the club forthwith He and MacKinnon rapidly became practice buddies as he tried to soak up everything he could from one of the best centers in the world They re both hockey nerds at heart and it looked like a good match Mittelstadt was productive at the end of the - season and had a strong showing in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs The Avs signed him to a three-year contract at million per season Then he got off to a hot start last year when the depleted club needed him Then it just went sideways for him I don t know Avs coach Jared Bednar mentioned when petitioned what went wrong It s different for every player and how he feels in the ecosystem Specific guys thrive in it specific guys don t You can hit a streak You lose confidence and things don t go well There s high expectations and moves are made Other guys gain confidence and play well Every unit s not going to be a fit for every performer From the day after the deal until mid-November of last season Mittelstadt had points in games including nine in playoff contests That s a -point pace over a full season exactly what the Avs have been looking for in that role Then he had four goals and points in his next games The next competition after that came with the Bruins when he was traded along with prospect William Zellers and a second-round pick for Charlie Coyle That the Avs had to include two assets to acquire a less-productive center suggests that Mittelstadt s stock had plummeted I think especially in the season when you re playing every other day and things are crazy it almost feels like it s something different every encounter when it s not going well Mittelstadt commented Sadly I think I perhaps fell into that rabbit hole a little bit too much It s part of it though It s part of growing up and maturing and learning from your mistakes I think as long as you do that you look back on every experience as a positive one Mittelstadt is already on his second coach with the Bruins something he has experience with after spending the first six seasons of his career in Buffalo He s centering the second line for a franchise in transition The spine of a potentially great association is still there with David Pastrnak Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman but the rest of the roster is a bit of an odd collection of players He ll have a local kid Littleton s Michael Eyssimont on his wing Saturday night in Denver Mittelstadt has two goals and no assists in five games this season and six goals but just two assists in games overall for the Bruins It s been fun Obviously a crazy couple of years Mittelstadt stated Trying to get settled in and get assured It s a great group of guys so I ve been having a good time I think we ve played overall pretty well and specific things to improve on I think we have a good association Mittelstadt was a phenom growing up in Minnesota He struggled at first with the Sabres but eventually matured into one of their best players and a productive NHL performer Related Articles Avalanche Journal Five thoughts on Colorado s fast drama-free start Grading The Week Ex-Broncos RBs Audric Estime Javonte Williams would love to have J K Dobbins problems right now Avalanche keeps rolling second line breaks through against Blue Jackets Close friends Gavin Brindley Adam Fantilli excited to share NHL ice for first time under unexpected circumstances Avalanche dodged a bullet when Brock Nelson s wrist was cut by Bo Byram s skate He and the Avs looked like a great fit until it suddenly wasn t In a whirlwind year for the organization his slump was one of the more perplexing developments Other players have not worked out in Denver but he was a unique episode He fit with the heritage of the crew but it just went awry on the ice Now he s trying to find the magic he had near the end of his time in Buffalo while sorting out life in a new city I think it s a work in progress a little bit trying to regain certain of the confidence and certain of the things maybe I d lost in the past couple of years Mittelstadt declared At the same time I think there s a lot of positives and a lot of things going in the right direction I learned so much in Colorado I m very grateful for my time there and I feel like the staff taught me a ton along with a lot of the players I feel fortunate to have that opportunity but also happy to be here Want more Avalanche news Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis