Tyler Bertuzzi is as good as gone, thanks to the Colorado Avalanche

Sportsnet's Chris Johnston has reported that the Colorado Avalanche have struck a deal on a 3-year extension with pending UFA center Casey Mittelstadt, which carries an alarmingly high cap hit of $5.75M per season.

Mittelstadt, a former 8th overall pick (2017), has produced just 66 goals and 196 points over his 357-game NHL career. He has yet to eclipse the 60-point threshold in a single season, and at 25 years of age, he is at the point in his career where his ceiling probably isn't much higher than where he's at right now.

Meanwhile, Bertuzzi has amassed 113 goals and 261 points across 406 career NHL games and has multiple 20-goal seasons under his belt, even scoring 30 back in 2021-22.

With Mittelstadt landing a $5.75M cap hit just a few days before free agency, it decreases the likelihood of the Leafs brining Bertuzzi back at a cap hit comparable to what he made in 2023-24. Now, his new deal is almost assuredly going to exceed the $6M threshold.

The Leafs have some pretty big holes to fill on the blueline this summer and also have Max Domi in need of an extension. Further to this, the Leafs need a backup goalie for Joseph Woll, who is set to sign his 3-year extension on July 1st, and only $19.7M to spend to accomplish all of this.

Some very big decisions ahead, but don't be shocked if the Mittelstadt deal just pushed Bertuzzi out of Toronto.