Latest news with #MilesWood
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Busy NHL Draft day for Blue Jackets as trade talks fizzle before Smith, Andreyanov picks
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping to use their two first-round draft picks on Friday to acquire immediate roster help: impactful veteran players who could help push the organization forward after five straight years out of the playoffs. But general manager Don Waddell expressed no regrets or disappointment after one trade fell through and several others fizzled out before gaining any traction. Advertisement 'I would have said (there's disappointment in that) maybe before the draft,' Waddell said. 'But after we've gone through these selections and ended up with these players, we're pretty happy.' The Blue Jackets, who added veteran forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood earlier in the day, selected defenseman Jackson Smith with the No. 14 overall pick and — in a surprise to many — goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov with the No. 20 overall pick. The picks were made by Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of former Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau, who was greeted with a standing ovation by the crowd at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. 'It's truly an honor to be here,' she told the crowd, as chants of 'John-ny! John-ny!' rang out. 'And from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.' An extra special moment, as Meredith Gaudreau announces our first pick, 14th overall, in the 2025 #NHLDraft 💙♥️ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 28, 2025 The Blue Jackets were delighted that Smith was still on the board. They had him ranked among the top 10 players on the board, including among the top two or three defensemen. Smith, who turned 18 last month, is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. But his skating belies his size. He's played the last two seasons with the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League — totaling 11-43-54 in 68 games this past season — but has already committed to Penn State in the fall. 'We actually tried to move up to a spot (to draft Smith) and that didn't work,' Waddell said. 'We had a lot of calls to move around, especially on the 14th pick. But I really believe if there's a player you really want, don't pass them up. Take 'em. 'We really like the way he transports the puck. His skating … some of our scouts who've watched him all the time rated his skating at a 10 (out of 10), and that happens very rarely.' Advertisement The Blue Jackets went way off the board to select Andreyanov with the No. 20 pick. Andreyanov, who was the No. 1 goaltender ranked by the NHL's Central Scouting service, was seen by most as a late second- or early third-round selection. Last week, Waddell and two goaltending coaches — Brad Thiessen and Jim Viers — traveled to Florida for a special camp for Russian players arranged by agent Dan Milstein. They met with Andreyov and spoke to several of his fellow Russian players about him and came away impressed. Goaltending coach Nicklas Backstrom put it like this: 'He reminds of a young Bob.' That would be former Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, of course, now a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers. Andreyanov, who is 6-2, 207 pounds, played last season with the CSKA Red Army minor-league club, going 23-6-6 with a .942 save percentage. Waddell said he probably won't be clear of contractual obligations in Russia until he's 22 or 23 years old. 'The hope is that the development path he's on leads right to the NHL,' Waddell said. Pyotr Andreyanov learns that he is the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft at the Gold Star Hockey Draft Party. #WeAreGoldStar! — Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) June 28, 2025 It'll likely be two or three years before Smith makes an NHL impact. Andreyanov is probably four or five seasons away. If they turn out to be difference-making pros, this will be seen as an impressive draft for the Blue Jackets at two key positions. But about the 2025-26 roster … Earlier Friday, the Blue Jackets traded minor-league forward Gavin Brindley, a third-round pick in this year's draft (No. 77 overall) and a conditional second-round pick in 2027 to the Colorado Avalanche for Coyle and Wood. The Blue Jackets, who own two second-round picks in that draft, can decide which one they want to keep. Advertisement Coyle, 33, is the right-shot center the Blue Jackets were seeking this summer, a counterbalance to the three left-handed centers — Sean Monahan, Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger — already in the Columbus lineup. The Jackets will use Coyle frequently in the faceoff circle this coming season, and he teams with Monahan and Boone Jenner to give the club three exceptional players on draws. It's possible, maybe even likely, that Sillinger and Jenner will switch permanently to the wing. Wood was a perennial 10- to 15-goal scorer at the start of his career with the New Jersey Devils, but his game fell off sharply in Colorado. The Blue Jackets hope he gets back to being the ferocious forechecker he was in New Jersey, with a solid spot on the fourth line. 'Both big bodies,' Waddell said. 'Wood skates like the wind, is a forechecker, creates opportunities with his speed and finishing checks. Coyle plays a 200-foot game, is very responsible on both ends of the ice. We've been looking for a right-shot guy all summer, and when that opportunity came up, we had to jump.' It was one of the rare picks-for-players trade so far this offseason, Waddell noted. With the added salary cap space around the league, NHL teams are hanging onto more players and less willing to move out established players for the hope of draft picks, he said. That, and the fact that the NHL Draft was 'decentralized' this season as opposed to the usually central gathering of all 32 clubs, had an impact on trade talks, Waddell said. He and his scouts were set up in the Blue Jackets dressing room in Nationwide Arena while the league staged the annual sweater parade of prospects in Los Angeles. 'You can't walk around the (draft floor), tap people on the shoulder and talk to them,' Waddell lamented. 'When you're face-to-face, things always seem to happen better than when you're on the phone. There were lots of conversations, but not nearly as much as usually goes on when you're together.' Advertisement The Blue Jackets were deep in trade talks with the New York Islanders earlier in the day to acquire defenseman Noah Dobson, but the asking price — both first-round draft picks, a roster player and a prospect — was too rich for Waddell's blood. Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens instead, signing an eight-year, $76 million contract with the Islanders just before the trade. 'It got to a point for us where it was not only the assets we had to give up, but also the price tag on the player,' Waddell said. 'We just made a decision. You look at our team and some of our guys who will be coming off contracts in the next few years. We did like the player, but there comes a point where you have to keep yourselves open to keep your team together.'
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Colorado Avalanche trade Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood to Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of 2025 NHL Draft night
The Colorado Avalanche have begun their summer offseason moves, as NHL trades had already begun ahead of free agency and the 2025 NHL Draft. Forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood were traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday in return for forward prospect Gavin Brindley and two draft selections, the hockey club announced. We have acquired forward Gavin Brindley, a third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round choice in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. — Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 27, 2025 Colorado acquired Colorado's third-round selection (77th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft. The team also received a conditional second-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft. Brindley, 20, is all but likely set to report to Avalanche AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles. He was previously a 2023 second-round draft choice for Columbus. He has logged one game in the NHL since being drafted. The movement of Coyle and Woods frees up cap space for the hockey club. Coyle has one year remaining on a $5.25 million contract. Woods already had term, and Columbus will now receive his four-year, $2.5 million contract. According to the Colorado Avalanche are projected to have $8.95 million in cap space since these transactions. The 2025 NHL Draft begins 5 p.m. MT Friday, June 27. The Avalanche were not expected to select in the first round pending any unforeseen trade ahead of the draft.
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Colorado Avalanche trade Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood to Columbus ahead of 2025 NHL Draft night
The Colorado Avalanche have begun their summer offseason moves, as NHL trades had already begun ahead of free agency and the 2025 NHL Draft. Forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood were traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday in return for forward prospect Gavin Brindley and two draft selections, the hockey club announced. We have acquired forward Gavin Brindley, a third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round choice in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. — Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 27, 2025 Colorado acquired Colorado's third-round selection (77th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft. The team also received a conditional second-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft. Brindley, 20, is all but likely set to report to Avalanche AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles. He was previously a 2023 second-round draft choice for Columbus. He has logged one game in the NHL since being drafted. The movement of Coyle and Woods frees up cap space for the hockey club. Coyle has one year remaining on a $5.25 million contract. Woods already had term, and Columbus will now receive his four-year, $2.5 million contract. According to the Colorado Avalanche are projected to have $8.95 million in cap space since these transactions. The 2025 NHL Draft begins 5 p.m. MT Friday, June 27. The Avalanche were not expected to select in the first round pending any unforeseen trade ahead of the draft.
Boston Globe
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Cale Makar scores 30th goal as Avalanche beat Blue Jackets to secure playoff spot
Miles Wood, Parker Kelly, and Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves. Sean Monahan, Zachary Aston-Reese, and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, and Elvis Merzlikins made 21 saves before being lifted with about 14 minutes to play. The Avalanche secured a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs with the win, their second in two nights after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout on Wednesday. Advertisement The Blue Jackets needed a win to stay close in the chase for an Eastern Conference wild card, but the loss coupled with Montreal's win over Boston put them four points behind the Canadiens. After Jenner extended his points streak to six games with a second-period goal that gave Columbus a 3-2 lead, Coyle and Kelly scored just 1:23 apart later in the period to give Colorado the lead for good. With his goal, Makar became the first 30-goale blue liner since Washington's Mike Green in the 2008-2009 season. Makar put the Avalanche up 5-2 by scoring a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the second period. Markar now has 30 goals and 60 assists for 90 points on the season in 76 games. Advertisement
