Gavin Brindley is the type of player coaches love. He plays with a relentless motor, possesses strong hockey IQ, and has a knack for finding loose pucks and creating opportunities in areas where others often don’t venture.

The challenge for the Colorado Avalanche is that they may need significantly more from him this season—and that reality comes with both upside and risk.

Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets during the previous offseason, Brindley appeared in 56 games during his first full professional season and quietly put together an encouraging campaign. Despite averaging just 9:33 of ice time per game, he scored six goals and added 13 points. For a young forward carving out a role on a Stanley Cup contender loaded with offensive talent, that level of production was a promising sign.

His skill set suggests he could earn a longer look in a larger role, particularly as Colorado navigates an offseason filled with roster questions. On a team as deep as the Avalanche, Brindley spent most of last season maximizing whatever opportunities came his way—and in many respects, he exceeded expectations.

The bigger concern has never been talent. It’s durability.

At 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, Brindley plays a fearless game that often belies his size. It’s one of the qualities that makes him so easy to root for. Whether it’s battling along the boards or standing up for himself against much larger opponents—as he famously did with Marcus Foligno before Brent Burns jumped into the exchange and turned the moment into a memorable laugh for everyone involved—Brindley never backs down.

But there is an unavoidable reality that comes with playing that style.

No amount of competitiveness can completely erase the physical disadvantages that come with giving up size and strength to many of the league’s biggest players. Brindley isn’t built to play the same bruising game as someone like Ivan Barbashev, and asking him to fundamentally change who he is as a player probably isn’t realistic. What Colorado can do, however, is continue emphasizing strength training and muscle development so he can better absorb the punishment that comes with his aggressive style.

Last season provided several reminders of the challenges that come with Brindley’s style of play.

Early in the year, he suffered a concussion after a collision with the aforementioned Vegas Golden Knights forward Barbashev. The hit wasn’t particularly violent, but it was enough to force Brindley out of the lineup for multiple games.

Then, in November, he missed roughly a month after taking a hit into the boards against the New York Rangers that resulted in a lower-body injury. Shortly after returning, he also dealt with an upper-body issue in January, though that injury fortunately proved to be minor and left him day-to-day.

By the time he got back into the lineup, Brindley never quite seemed to regain the momentum he had established earlier in the season. Eventually, he was reassigned to the Colorado Eagles, where he spent the remainder of the year continuing his development in the AHL. 

Now, the circumstances may be very different.

With Ross Colton traded to the Nashville Predators, uncertainty surrounding Jack Drury’s future, and persistent speculation regarding Valeri Nichushkin, the Avalanche could find themselves looking for internal solutions to fill important roster spots. If that happens, Brindley may no longer be viewed as simply a depth option or a developmental project.

Colorado might need him to become a meaningful contributor—and perhaps sooner than anyone expected.