The Colorado Avalanche haven’t really given Gavin Brindley a real chance to establish himself in the NHL this season.
The club recalled the 22-year-old ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Flames. He hit the ice for 12 minutes on the night, taking up Logan O’Connor’s spot on the fourth line.
While Brindley wasn’t exactly lights-out on the night, he played well enough to earn more playing time. However, the Avs reassigned him to the Eagles on Sunday.
And that’s just the thing. Brindley deserves a better chance to prove he can hang in the NHL. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is the fact that there really isn’t a spot for him right now. The former second-round pick is not a bottom-six guy. He’s shown in the AHL that he’s a legit top-six guy. But that’s not an opportunity currently available to him. Nic Roy’s return to the lineup moved Nazem Kadri to the third-line center role, with Roy flanking Brock Nelson and Gabriel Landeskog on the second line.
Now, you could argue for Landeskog to move down to the third line, allowing Gavin Brindley to move up. That’s a fair assessment.
But is that really the best situation right now?
Injuries could be the only real path for Gavin Brindley to a regular NHL role
As far as this season goes, injuries may be the only real way that Gavin Brindley could have a decent path to a regular NHL role.
The Avalanche are loaded at the moment, and, well, there isn’t really much sense in scratching, say, T.J. Hughes in favor of Brindley.
In fact, the only guy who might actually make sense at this time is Fedor Svechkov. Cutting out Svechkov in favor of Gavin Brindley would make sense if the move involves sliding Parker Kelly into the fourth-line center role.
The situation, as it stands, does not require Brindley to play 10 or 12 minutes a night in a bottom-six role. The organization has bigger plans for Brindley at the moment. And so, it’s likely that he’ll be seesawing between the NHL and AHL until a regular opportunity opens up.
That opportunity may not arrive until next season. Roy and Artturi Lehkonen will be UFAs next summer. It might just be that the organization will have to decide to sign one or the other. If that’s the case, Gavin Brindley could be first in line for that opening.
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