The Colorado Avalanche have joined the action leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft by pulling off a stunning trade.
According to various insiders, the Avalanche are sending center Charlie Coyle and winger Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for various pieces.
Pierre LeBrun first broke the news, reporting on rumblings around the trade.
Hearing CBJ trading for Charlie Coyle from Colorado
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 27, 2025
Then, another notable insider, Chris Johnston, broke the details of the trade. The Avalanche will get a 2027 second-round pick, and 2025 third-round selection, and prospect Gavin Brindley.
The #avs are getting prospect Gavin Brindley, a conditional 2027 2nd-rounder and a 2025 3rd-rounder (No. 77) back from #CBJ for Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 27, 2025
No salary retained.
Brindley was the Blue Jackets’ second-round pick in the 2023 draft. The 34th overall pick is described as a “tenacious forechecker.” He looks like a solid addition to the Avs’ prospect pipeline.
The 20-year-old spent all of last season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring six goals and 17 points in 52 games.
As for the picks, well, the 2027 second-rounder is a bridge we’ll cross when we get there. The enticing piece is the 2025 third-rounder.
The Avalanche entered this draft with only two picks. Now, this trade provides the Colorado Avalanche with another pick. The pick is the 77th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Athletic projected the Blue Jackets to use that pick on Cooper Simpson, a left winger pledged to the University of North Dakota.
If the Avalanche hold on to the pick, and they most likely will, the club could use it on a player like Simpson to fill out the club’s depth moving forward.
Colorado Avalanche get cap space in Coyle, Wood trade
It’s too bad the Avalanche had to move on from Charlie Coyle. He was a solid pickup at this year’s trade deadline. However, his $5.25 million cap hit was a bit too much for the Avalanche to carry.
Plus, Miles Wood, a solid if unspectacular depth winger, was another cap casualty. His $2.5 million cap hit was getting in the way of the Avalanche making other moves.
Now that the Avalanche have about $9 million in cap space, the discussion will be open on the Avs re-signing UFAs Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Lindgren. The newfound cap space will also be needed to re-sign RFA Sam Malinski and UFA Joel Kiviranta, should the club feel both players are needed on next season’s roster.
It remains to be seen if GM Chris MacFarland has any other surprises up his sleeve before the end of the 2025 NHL Draft.