Casey Mittelstadt lives and breathes hockey, maybe even more than the typical NHL player. It’s part of what helped him become one of the best prospects in his draft class, what helped him figure it out at this level after a slower-than-anticipated start, and why he has connected so well with Nathan MacKinnon since arriving in Denver before the trade deadline last season. It’s also a big part of why he believes a recent funk will be in the rearview mirror soon. “I haven’t really had something like this since I was really young,” Mittelstadt said.