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.

Welcome to Evan’s mailbag, where each week Avalanche reporter Evan Rawal answers all your Avalanche- and hockey-related questions. Mailbag questions can be sent to.

The Hurricanes added a superstar to their lineup and win the trade, but how much will depend on if he re-signs in Carolina.

Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen has started to play center a bit. Have started hearing that Casey Mittelstadt could become available ahead of the trade deadline.

Mikko Rantanen, the good solider and Nathan MacKinnon’s ... The Avs’ hottest line right now is its second one, with the trio of Jonathan Drouin, Casey Mittelstadt and Artturi Lehkonen accounting for four goals and 10 points against the Stars.

Elias Pettersson could be the odd man out in Vancouver. What does he bring, where could he land and what does Vancouver need?

On the surface, the Colorado Avalanche made a pretty baffling decision last week (Jan. 24). Trading an in-his-prime franchise legend like Mikko Rantanen doesn’t usually go over well in the eyes of public opinion.

Despite their climb back to the fringes of playoff contention, these Rangers remain fragile. That was certainly the case after another mistake – one that gives Panarin’s miscues against the Hurricanes a run for their money – resulted in the devastating defeat to Colorado.

Jared Bednar has been known to rely heavily on his top forwards, often overplaying the top line to the point where some nights you wouldn't know the Avalanche were even dressing 12 forwards. That was not the case in Sunday's 5-4 win over the New York Rangers.

Colorado comes into this game off of a thrilling win over the New York Rangers, which saw Artturi Lehkonen end the game for the Avs in regulation with just seconds left in the thi

The West has six teams with a chance to win the Stanley Cup north of 2.5 percent. These are each team’s signature strengths and fatal flaws.