The Colorado Avalanche are waiting on the full picture around Nathan MacKinnon’s lower-body injury, and in the meantime they’ve turned to Gavin Brindley for help.
Colorado recalled Brindley from the Colorado Eagles after MacKinnon left Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. MacKinnon appeared to hurt his right side while going for a reverse hit on Senators defenseman Artem Zub, then finished his last shift at the 8:15 mark of the second period. He stayed on the bench briefly before heading down the tunnel and never returned.
Brindley has already been a familiar name for the Avalanche this season. The forward has been brought up multiple times and previously joined the NHL roster while Logan O’Connor was out with a lower-body injury, as well as during O’Connor’s absence after the death of his father, Myles Connor.
At the AHL level, Brindley has been producing. He has 16 points, including six goals and 10 assists, in 10 games with the Eagles this season. That kind of output has kept him in the mix whenever Colorado needs another body up front.
His NHL numbers this season are still modest: one assist in five games, with an average of 8:54 of ice time per night. He has not scored yet at the NHL level this year.
Brindley also came painfully close to his first NHL goal of the season in Colorado’s Oct. 14 game against the Dallas Stars. He fired what looked like a clean wrist shot into the net, the horn sounded, and the building reacted like the Avalanche had a goal. But the replay told a different story - the puck hit both posts and never crossed the line.
Colorado lost that game 3-2 in a shootout, but Brindley’s near-miss stood out anyway.
Now he gets another chance, and the timing matters. With MacKinnon’s status unclear, Brindley is back in the conversation as Colorado looks for answers and tries to keep moving without one of the biggest names in the lineup.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Question About MacKinnon And Makar
The Avalanches night against Ottawa took a sharp turn when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited with lower-body injuries, leaving Colorado to absorb a hit to two of its most important players at once. MacKinnon was hurt while trying to check Artem Zub and eventually had to leave the bench, while Makar went out earlier, briefly came back for one shift and was then ruled out.
For a team that leans so heavily on both stars, the timing makes the concern obvious. Colorado can usually survive a rough stretch because MacKinnon drives the attack and Makar anchors the back end, but losing either one changes the look of the lineup fast. Losing both in the same game raises an even bigger question about how the Avalanche handle the next stretch if the injuries linger. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Problem After MacKinnon And Makar Exit
The Avalanche were already in a tricky spot against Ottawa, and the second period made it much worse when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited after sustaining injuries. Makar went down while retrieving the puck without contact, while MacKinnon was hurt in a scuffle with Artum Zub, leaving Colorado suddenly scrambling for answers in the middle of a game it could not afford to lose control of.
With Josh Manson also unavailable, the Avalanche may have to reach into their depth chart for help, with Noah Juulsen and Alex Gagne among the names that could be called up. For a team built around elite pace and high-end skill, the possibility of being without two of its biggest drivers is a stark reminder of how quickly a night can change, and how thin the margin becomes when the blue line and top six are both under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Prospect Is Making His Case In A Different Role
Gavin Brindley has already gotten a taste of both levels in the Avalanche organization, and the experience has given him a clearer sense of what it takes to stick. After spending time in both the NHL and AHL, including 56 games with Colorado during the 2025-26 season, Brindley has been open about the different demands each league places on a player, from pace and precision to the little details that separate a prospect from a regular.
What stands out now is the way Brindley is using that time to broaden his role, not just his game. He has talked about development, leadership, and the value of helping younger teammates in the AHL, all while drawing on the lessons he picked up from playing alongside notable players in international competition. For Colorado, that kind of maturity matters almost as much as production, and Brindley seems intent on proving he can be more than just another name in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]