Between now and the start of camp we will finish our Top 25 Under 25 countdown. Thanks to the 74 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players and prospects under the age of 25.
#11 Gavin Brindley
Voting
11th out of 42 eligible players
Writer Rank: 11th
Reader Rank: 11th
Highest Placement: 6th (2 votes)
Most Common Placement: 11th (17 votes)
2023 Rank: 17th (+6)
Biography
Birthdate: October 5, 2004
Birthplace: Estero, Florida
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 168 lbs
Position: RW
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Drafted in the 2nd round (34th overall) in 2023
2023-24 Season
Without his teammate and BFF Adam Fantilli, Brindley was able to step into the spotlight in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan. He doubled his goal production with 25 goals in 40 games as the Wolverines reached the Frozen Four. He also scored 6 goals in 7 games for Team USA as they won gold in the World Junior Championships, and he added a goal with the US senior team in the World Championships in May. Brindley is a small player but he doesn’t necessarily play that way. No matter what, he finds a way to get the puck on net.
2024-25 Outlook
Brindley signed his ELC after Michigan’s season ended, and made his NHL debut in the final Blue Jackets game of the season. He got his 2024-25 season off to a good start with a goal in the first game of the prospects tournament in Buffalo. Most likely he is destined to join the Cleveland Monsters, but there is an opportunity for him to play his way onto the NHL roster already. No one can replace Johnny Gaudreau, but there would be something poetic about another small, American, college star making an instant impact in the NHL. The prior chemistry with potential linemate Fantilli is a point in his favor.