first round against the Colorado Avalanche that required him to wear a fully visored helmet for the remainder of the playoffs. After defeating the Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks in the first two rounds, the Wild were eliminated in four games by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the semi-finals. In the off-season, he was re-signed to a one-year contract by the Wild on August 11, 2003. He recorded 14 points over 70 games in 2003–04, while leading the Wild with a +12 rating and ranking second in average ice time at 22:35 minutes per game. Minnesota failed to qualify for the playoffs. On June 30, 2004, the Wild tendered Mitchell a qualifying offer, but he later filed for arbitration on July 7. The two sides avoided arbitration by agreeing on a one-year, $1.775 million deal on August 12, 2004. However, due to the NHL lockout, Mitchell was inactive in 2004–05. With NHL play set to resume for 2005–06, he re-signed with the Wild to another one-year, $1 million contract on August 9, 2005. In December 2005, he was named team captain as part of the Wild's monthly rotating captaincy (he was then succeeded by Brian Rolston in February 2006). At the 2005–06 NHL trade deadline, Mitchell was traded away to the Dallas Stars as a rental player in exchange for defencemen Martin Škoula and Shawn Belle on March 9, 2006. Mitchell closed the season playing 16 games and one playoff round with Dallas before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. Vancouver Canucks (2006–2010) On July 1, 2006, the Vancouver Canucks signed Mitchell to a four-year, $14 million contract. Canucks General Manager Dave Nonis had previously attempted to acquire him at the previous season's trade deadline before he was sent to Dallas. His acquisition as a free agent followed the signings of goaltender Roberto Luongo and head coach Alain Vigneault, which reflected an effort from Nonis to develop a defence-first system. Early in the 2006–07 season, Mitchell suffered a concussion on October 23 and missed nine games. He then missed 11 more games due to a recurring groin injury in February and March 2007. He finished his first season with the Canucks recording a goal and 11 points in 62 games. His 4:57 minutes of average shorthanded ice time per game ranked third in the NHL behind Derian Hatcher and Adam Foote. He helped the team to the second