When the Colorado Avalanche committed to bringing Brock Nelson back earlier this month, it meant that at least one of his teammates had to go.

The Avs made their second big move of the offseason Friday, trading Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s a move that weakens the team’s present depth at forward, but also allows the club more flexibility to fill out the edges of the roster.

Colorado received the No. 77 pick in the 2025 NHL draft, a second-round selection in 2027 and prospect Gavin Brindley in the trade, which also clears $7.75 million in salary cap for this coming season.

“We believed in (the 2024-25) group tremendously, and it still stings,” Avs general manager Chris MacFarland said. “Our cap was tight, right? It’s still tight for this year, and this was an opportunity to loosen it up a little bit. We’re really excited about that aspect of it, and obviously it comes at the expense of losing good hockey players and good people.”

By removing Coyle and Wood from the cap ledger, the Avalanche now has $9.725 million in space with 10 forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders signed to one-way contracts. One of those forwards, Logan O’Connor, is expected to miss the start of the season after hip surgery, so Colorado could have an extra $2.5 million in space available until he’s ready to return.

A fifth defenseman, Sam Malinski, will still be under team control if he doesn’t have a new contract by July 1 and becomes a restricted free agent. MacFarland said the club will qualify Malinski in the coming days and hopes to get a deal done with him soon.

Brindley was the No. 34 selection in the 2023 NHL draft and instantly becomes one of the Avs’ top prospects, albeit in a thin system. He had six goals and 17 points in 52 games in the AHL last season, but the 20-year-old wing was one of the youngest players in the league.

He had 25 goals and 53 points in 40 games as a sophomore at Michigan the previous year.

“Going back to his draft year, he’s a high-motor, tenacious player that plays with really good pace,” MacFarland said. “That book has traveled and just followed him to pro hockey.”

The 2025 third-round pick gives the Avs three selections in this week’s draft, along with fourth- and seventh-round picks. Both of the draft picks in this deal could become valuable trade chips, whether Colorado makes those selections or deals them ahead of time.

Colorado traded for Coyle just before the trade deadline last season in a deal that sent Casey Mittelstadt, prospect William Zellers and a 2025 second-round pick to the Boston Bruins. Coyle slotted in as the club’s No. 3 center for the stretch run and opening-round playoff series loss to the Dallas Stars.

When the Avs signed Nelson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract earlier this month, it left the team with little cap space and several depth spots on the roster still to fill. Coyle will cost $5.25 million against the cap in 2025-26, the final year of his current contract.

Coyle was an instant fit with the Avs. He had 13 points in 19 regular-season games, and coach Jared Bednar raved about his all-around game and versatility. But Coyle was also one of several key forwards who did not produce offensively against the Stars. He had one goal and no assists in the series.

The Avs signed Wood to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $2.5 million ahead of the 2023-24 season. Wood had four goals and eight points in 37 regular-season games this past season, missing a huge chunk of it with a lingering back injury. He appeared in only one playoff game after Colorado bolstered the forward group at the deadline.

Colorado still has Jack Drury, Parker Kelly, Ross Colton and Ivan Ivan as potential options to fill out the center depth chart behind Nathan MacKinnon and Nelson. Drury was the No. 4 center after Nelson and Coyle arrived at the deadline.

MacFarland also mentioned Zakhar Bardakov, a 24-year-old prospect the Avs acquired in March 2024 from the New Jersey Devils, as a player who could earn a job during training camp.

“We know what we’ve got in terms of cap space and roster holes. You do the math and try to figure it out,” MacFarland said. “We’ll look at anything we can to improve, including the back end. I think the only area that we’re probably set as we sit here tonight is in net.”