Avalanche’s Gavin Brindley to return after missing 10 games

The Colorado Avalanche are expected to welcome center Gavin Brindley back into the lineup for the first time in 10 games when they take on the Florida Panthers at home on Thursday night.

Brindley last played on November 20 against the New York Rangers and suffered a lower body injury before being placed on injured reserve with weekly status. He spent 10 games on the sidelines, but Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said Dec. 3 that he appeared earlier than expected in his recovery.

This season, Bridnley has four goals and seven points in 18 games.

Selected 34th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Brindley spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, where he scored six goals and 17 points in 52 games with the Cleveland Monsters.

He joined the Avalanche this summer as part of a trade with the Blue Jackets that sent forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Ohio, while bringing in Brindley alongside a third-round pick (Francesco Dell’elcel) in the 2025 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Still on waivers, Brindley’s time in the AHL is unlikely to be over for good, but he has started to establish himself as a regular NHL player and will look to return to that form upon his return from injury.

The Avalanche enter Thursday’s contest atop the NHL Central Division with 49 points in 30 games, and will look to continue their winning streak with four of their next six games at home.

Following Thursday’s matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Avalanche will host division foes the Nashville Predators on Saturday night before hitting the road to face the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday at Climate Pledge Arena.