Avalanche acquire Mittelstadt, Walker in separate trades

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker in separate trades Wednesday.

Mittelstadt, a forward, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Bowen Byram. Walker, a defenseman, was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers with a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for forward Ryan Johansen and a conditional 1st-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Colorado’s first-round pick is top-10 protected.

RELATED: 2023-24 NHL Trade Tracker

Mittelstadt is in the final season of a three-year contract ($2.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Sabres on Sept. 2, 2021, and can become a restricted free agent after this season. The 25-year-old has 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 62 games this season.

Chosen by the Sabres with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Mittelstadt has 186 points (62 goals, 124 assists) in 339 regular-season games, all with Buffalo.

Walker is in the final season of a four-year contract ($2.65 million AAV) he signed with the Kings on Sept. 11, 2020, and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. The 29-year-old has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 63 games this season. He was traded to the Flyers by the Kings on June 6.

Signed by the Los Angeles Kings as an undrafted free agent on July 2, 2018, Walker has 89 points (22 goals, 67 assists) in 295 regular-season games for the Flyers and Kings and no points in two Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The Avalanche (38-20-5) are third in the Central Division, four points behind the first-place Dallas Stars. Colorado hosts the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, ALT, SN360).

Johansen was in his first season with Colorado after being traded by the Nashville Predators for Alex Galchenyuk on June 24, 2023. He has 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 63 game this season, and 578 points (202 goals, 376 assists) in 905-regular-season games with the Avalanche, Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

The 31-year-old, who was the No. 4 pick by Columbus in the 2010 NHL Draft, is in the seventh year of an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million AAV) signed with Nashville on July 28, 2017. He can become an unrestricted free agent after next season. He was placed on waivers by Philadelphia on Wednesday.

The Flyers (32-23-8) are third in the Metropolitan Division, six points behind the second-place Carolina Hurricanes and four points ahead of the New York Islanders.

Later on Wednesday, they announced they had signed defenseman Nick Seeler to a four-year, $10.8 million contract ($2.7 million AAV). He could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Byram has one season remaining on a two-year contract he signed with the Avalanche on July 1, 2023, and can become a restricted free agent after next season. The 22-year-old has 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 55 games this season.

Selected by the Avalanche with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram has 63 points (23 goals, 40 assists) in 149 regular-season games. He has 12 assists in 27 Stanley Cup Playoff games and won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

The Sabres (29-29-4) are sixth in the Atlantic Division, 10 points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, who hold the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.