The Avalanche have seen enough. They aren’t wasting time getting Gavin Brindley locked up for the foreseeable future.
Colorado signed the 21-year-old forward to a two-year extension on Tuesday, just as the team began morning skate ahead of a heavyweight battle against the Anaheim Ducks.
Brindley’s contract will carry a $875,000 AAV. He’ll make $850,000 on a two-way deal in 2026-27, followed by $900,000 on a one-way deal in 2027-28.
“Excited to be a part of this team, some pretty elite players in here and a lot of very good guys,” Brindley said after morning skate. “We’ve had a lot of fun so far, and hopefully we keep it going.”
READ MORE: Gavin Brindley Has Arrived For the Avalanche
He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2027-28 season.
The Avs acquired Brindley in an offseason trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Colorado sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus in exchange for second and third-round picks and Brindley.
He was taken No. 34 overall in the 2023 draft after falling out of the first round. That year, the Avalanche selected Calum Ritchie No. 27 and Mikhail Gulyayev No. 31. They were reportedly very interested in Brindley with one of those picks.
Brindley wasn’t shy when asked if he felt like the Jackets gave up on him too quickly.
“It definitely helps put a chip on my shoulder, for sure,” he said. “I think going through something like that, that young and kind of experiencing that already is a positive. But yeah, I think it definitely helped.”
Brindley scored the OT game-winning goal on Sunday in Vancouver after coming off his first multi-point night Saturday in Edmonton. He has three goals and five points in 14 games, four of which have come in his last four games.
Head coach Jared Bednar has given him shifts with Nathan MacKinnon at times, and its paid off. Especially on Sunday.
“I think he can be a top six forward in this league,” Bednar said. “He plays bigger than his size. The motor, the relentlessness, the skill level and the brain to go with it are all there.”
