The Blue Jackets made a major trade in the hours before the NHL draft, acquiring forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from Colorado in exchange for Gavin Brindley and a pair of draft picks.
Here’s our breakdown of the move that adds two veteran NHL forwards to the mix.
The instant reaction: The Blue Jackets bolstered their depth up front in a big way by adding a pair of players who have skated in a combined 1,563 games in their NHL careers. Coyle gives the Blue Jackets even more depth at a loaded center position, as he’s a much-sought after right-shot pivot who can play a third-line role behind Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli, move up if the situation arises, or even move to wing to provide flexibility. Wood, meanwhile, is a depth winger who plays a hard, honest game and probably has more scoring in him than when he was on a Colorado team with a loaded top six. It’s tough to say goodbye to a solid prospect in Brindley, but the Blue Jackets added two NHL players and didn’t give up a first-round pick, which is a solid victory when it comes to improving the team for next season.
Get to know Coyle: Fans likely need no introduction to the longtime NHLer, as the 33-year-old Coyle has totaled 950 games over 13 NHL seasons with Minnesota, Boston and Colorado while posting 189 goals, 296 assists and 485 points. The 2023-24 season was his best, as Coyle posted 25 goals and 60 points, though the numbers went down slightly a year ago with the Bruins and Avs as he finished with a 17-18-35 line. Still, the East Weymouth, Mass., native is a veteran presence who should fit seamlessly into the CBJ lineup, as the 6-3, 215-pounder can win faceoffs, play on the power play and also kill penalties.
Get to know Wood: Wood might not be as much of a household name as Coyle, but he has played 515 games over 10 NHL seasons – eight in New Jersey, two in Colorado – while totaling 91 goals and 91 assists. The speedy 29-year-old wing has topped 100 hits three times, has both a 19- and 17-goal season to his credit, and has topped 25 points four times in his career. A native of Buffalo, Wood (6-2, 195) has some experience both on the power play and killing penalties in his career, but his game is being a dependable disruptor at 5-on-5.
The near-term impact: This is a move made to help in the immediate future, as the Blue Jackets needed to lengthen the lineup to be a viable playoff contender this upcoming season. Both players should be important pieces of the puzzle for the upcoming campaign, as their veteran presence, size and ability to lengthen the lineup should help on a young squad that started to bloom a season ago. To some, it might not be the sexiest of trades, but the Blue Jackets knew going into this offseason where they had to get better and addressed some major holes.
The long-term impact: The Blue Jackets still retain both of their picks in tonight’s first round, so plenty of options remain on the table as the front office looks to improve the squad both now and down the road. It’s also not a major constraint when it comes to the salary cap; Wood is signed for four more seasons at a $2.5 million AAV and Coyle one more at $5.25 million, so plenty of flexibility remains in that realm as well. Brindley was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft who could make an impact down the road, but the Blue Jackets have a good supply of young forwards, and sometimes you have to trade a prospect to make a deal happen that you want.