Firstly he refused to take a bridge deal with BUFFALO. Totally different when you've moved to a winning team. Who knows what he may consider now. Secondly I've seen very few posts with $3.5m deals, Avs fans or not. The norm is in the 4.5 to 7 bracket depending on term.

Athletes on good teams want financial security as well
Guys like Crosby are rare
These guys wanna get paid

The good ones also want to win. Not taking a bridge on a team that at best is in the doldrums most of the time (and I say that sadly as I have a soft spot for Buffalo ever since the Hasek days) got him a move to a team that's all about trying to win. Taking a bridge on a winning team and banking on himself to be better (so far I'm unimpressed tbh) to get a bigger long term deal is a move that makes sense in a lot of ways for Mittlestadt as much as it does for the Avs.

I hear ya in theory
Just doesn’t happen a lot

Just Vegas him until the playoffs #winning

He'll be a 26 yr old 'kid' lol. Being from college (Cornell's Captain btw) this was his first pro training camp & full season. He had ups & downs, but probably could have stepped into a full time 3rd pair role on a lesser team quite easily. He crushed last year's Eagles stint. Avs just don't have tolerance for mistakes (see Newhook). Annunen is the only rookie on the roster & he was their 4th goalie. It took a Francouz injury & Prosvetov bomb to get him games. Malinski was an earlier option & would have been playing still if not for Waivers Exemption.

They traded for his identical, veteran replacement in Walker (rental) so he can be a Black Ace for the big boys this time & seem primed to let him take over a starting role in 24-25.

Until next year? That might not be unrealistic