Gavin Brindley defied the odds on his way to an extension with the Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Gavin Brindley to a two-year extension worth $875k on Tuesday, tying the 21 year old to the team through the 2027 season. Once we get to that point in time, Brindley will become a restricted free agent.

Brindley found his way into the Avalanche lineup as a regular due to his impressive play in training camp and the preseason. So far this year, he has three goals and two assists in 14 games. On the surface, that doesn’t seem like impressive production, but given that his role is limited (with time to grow), the production makes sense.

From Brindley himself:

A lot of fun it truly has been, especially the game against the Edmonton Oilers over the weekend, where teh team scored nine goals and only surrendered one. Over the past two games, Brindley has scored two goals (one in each), and has one assists, which he got against Edmonton. He had ice time of 10:15 against Edmonton and 11:01 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Head coach Jared Bednar stated that the team has seen “nothing but good” from Brindley this season, which is an insanely impressive compliment.

The important thing for a player with a limited role is to stand out in any way possible. You don’t have to score on a regular basis, though it would be pretty great if he did. The Avalanche have lacked some depth scoring aside from the Edmonton game. Perhaps Brindley can continue to develop his game and find some ways to get the puck on his stick and into opposing nets.

Gavin Brindley has made the most of his opportunities with the Avalanche despite the odds

It’s not every day that a player of Gavin Brindley’s size makes an impact for his team. It’s not everyday that players under 5-foot-11 make impact plays for an NHL team. You can look to guys such as Alex DeBrincat, Mats Zuccarello, and Brad Marchand as guys who have been successful while being among the shortest players in the league.

Ultimately, the key is to find roles for these types of players that fit their skillset. At the University of Michigan in 2023-24, Brindley played in 40 games and recorded 25 goals and 28 assists. That’s proof that he has some skill and a future in the NHL. I know that the game is different between university and even the AHL, but the Avalanche clearly see something in the 21 year old that they can utilize going forward.

The move to sign Brindley to the extension also means that once Logan O’Connor returns from injury, the fourth line will be Parker Kelly on the left wing, O’Connor at center, and Brindley at right wing. Thankfully, our lines appear to be set going forward, and once O’Connor and Sam Girard return, this team will be healthy.