Avalanche Clear Cap Space, Trade Coyle and Wood to Columbus For Prospect, Two Draft Picks

The Avalanche traded center Charlie Coyle and winger Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a cap-clearing move on Friday. In return, they received a 2027 second-round draft pick, a 2025 third-round draft pick (77th overall), and prospect Gavin Brindley.

Brindley, was drafted No. 34 overall in 2023. The 20-year-old was available when the Avs selected Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev late in the first round that year, and Colorado was very interested.

Listed at 5’9, 168 lbs, Brindley spent two years with the Michigan Wolverines, capped off with a 53-point season in 40 games in 2024. He played one NHL game for the Jackets after signing his entry level deal.

Last season, Brindley played 53 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and had 17 points. He spent the majority of the year as a right-winger but played center a handful of games, too.

So basically…

OUT:
Casey Mittelstadt
Miles Wood
Will Zellers
2nd Round Pick

IN:
Gavin Brindley
2nd Round Pick
3rd Round Pick
(Coyle for one playoff run)

5 months ago the Avs had a struggling $5.75 million center and a $2.5 million winger. Both now off the books.

— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) June 27, 2025

Coyle, 33, is in the final year of a contract paying him $5.25 million. He was acquired by the Avs at the March 7 trade deadline in a deal that sent Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers and a second-round draft pick to the Boston Bruins.

Coyle finished the regular season strong after a slow offensive start with the Avs. He had two goals and 13 points in 19 regular-season games before scoring just one goal in a seven-game series loss to the Dallas Stars.

The Avs locked up Brock Nelson for $7.5 million earlier in the month to center the second line, and Coyle’s salary was likely too much of a luxury. Before the trade, Colorado had just $1.2 million in available cap space and still had a handful of spots that needed to be filled.

With Nelson and eventually John Tavares both signing before the first day of free agency, a weak center market become even weaker. Coyle, who is a strong middle-six center, likely became an asset that the Avs could cash in on.

And they did. They used Coyle’s value to rid themselves of Wood’s contract. Wood has four years and a $2.5 million AAV remaining on his deal. He struggled with injuries for most of the 2024-25 season, and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs for all but one game.

The Avs are clearing $7.75 million of cap space with this trade, which means they have nearly $9 million in space heading into tonight’s NHL Draft.

The second-round pick in 2027 will be the lower of the two picks the Jackets own that year.