The Colorado Avalanche are searching for the right players to fill out the bottom of its forward group as we inch closer to the regular season. One player who could see some time with the NHL team at some point this season is forward Gavin Brindley.
Brindley played in 56 games for the Avalanche last season, recording six goals and seven assists. However, after the March 22 game against the Washington Capitals, Brindley was sent down to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, never to be seen again for the rest of the season.
In a recent postgame interview, head coach Jared Bednar was asked about Brindley and what we could expect of him this season. Bednar also mentioned a few reasons why we didn’t see him after March 22.
”I liked Brinds’ start to last year. I thought he’d stand out at training camp for all the reasons I talked about, why I liked him tonight. And then it looked like, you know, to me, [he] became less effective, not as quick. Like it just looked like he hit a bit of a wall under, like, different demands of the NHL, the schedule, everything… Had a couple injuries, too. So, I mean, if he can sustain that type of game and the game he had at the start of last year, I think he’s gonna find some offensive production and that’s what it’s all about. Like, if you look at our guys, they’re gonna have bad games every once in a while. They’re gonna be not at their best at times. They’re gonna have the odd bad game but they rarely go in a dip where their energy’s down, and it’s just learning the demands of the league.”
Sometimes it takes a player a little while to adjust to the NHL. We saw some flashes of solid play from Brindley last season, but it might be tough for him to crack the lineup this season due to the additions of guys like T.J. Hughes.
The depth this team currently has makes it very tough for Brindley who, despite his energy and willingness to fight for the puck, is still just 5-foot-8. I would be open to seeing him hit the ice again, however. It’s always cool to see how far a player has come in his career. Brindley could view last season as a situation he doesn’t want to experience again, and fight even harder to make the team.
Brindley had four game-winning goals in the 56 games he played for the Avalanche last season. He had 62 shot attempts, which is pretty solid for the limited role he had. The question I have is whether or not he will be able to beat out some of the other guys who are competing for the same role. Brindley could also potentially be that 13th forward type of player for the Avalanche, though there probably are a couple of player (Hughes, Taylor Makar) that would be above him in the choices for Bednar.
If it’s meant to be, Brindley will find his way back into the Avs’ lineup. If not, I would like to see him play more with the Eagles than he did last season. Either way, he’ll find his way onto someone’s ice.
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