The Colorado Avalanche have gotten active on the first day of the NHL Draft, despite not having any first-round picks. They have moved Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood for a conditional second-round pick in 2027, a third-round pick in 2025, and prospect Gavin Brindley from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Charlie Coyle/Miles Wood

Coyle moves on after just a short stint in Colorado as the third-line center. More importantly for Colorado, this is a cap dump to save $5.25 million.

The same can be said about Wood and his deal. Wood had signed a six-year contract with a $2.5 million AAV. Struggling with back issues and being locked down for a long time, Colorado gets out of it.

What does this mean?

The Avs now have nearly nine million dollars in cap space, likely signaling more to come. However, there are now more gaps to be filled in the bottom six of the roster. With the team initially signaling they liked what they had and were going to run it back, they’ve changed directions and will be doing more for the team.

While also clearing up cap space, the Avalanche now also adds a little more capital. They will have the third-round pick for Columbus in this year’s draft, at 77th overall. In addition, they have another pick in 2027, coming in the second round.

The newest Av: Gavin Brindley

Colorado’s newest addition is prospect Gavin Brindley. Brindley is a 20-year-old winger, picked in the second round at 34th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He has one NHL game played with Columbus back in the 2023-24 season.

He spent last year with the AHL affiliate Cleveland Monsters, in 52 games. Last season, he scored six goals and 11 assists while participating in four playoff games. Brindley was a high scorer at the University of Michigan for two years, including this beauty.

There is a chance he could be an outside chance for a roster spot if he massively improves before the start of the season. However, it is more likely he’ll join the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. This season is the final year of his entry-level contract.

What’s next?

Colorado has made the first of what is likely several more moves to come. With a lot more cap space and spots to fill in the lineup, who knows what else is up Chris MacFarland and Joe Sakic’s sleeves.