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Fantasy Summary

Undersized but tenacious forward with fantastic speed and agility. Can make plays under pressure and gets to the dirty areas to pressure opposing defenses. Projects as a middle-six NHL forward.


Observations

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June 2023 – Brindley was selected 34th overall by the Blue Jackets. Pat Quinn

 

April 2023 – Brindley excels in so many areas, one is bound to hit and make him a valuable NHLer. He has playmaking skill and hands for days but doesn’t default to any particular set-in-stone habit or skill. He cuts to the inside with both fearlessness and calculated timing, setting himself up for prime-ice puck touches regularly. When his skills and habits don’t suffice to make him a positive-impact winger, he can also track back with tremendous backward skating and get involved in defensive plays to cover for an aggressive defender. His stick angling makes him surprisingly good at defending the rush in those circumstances.  In Brindley, a team is getting one of the best defensive forwards in the class, with enough skill and projectability to top out as a very solid, very versatile second-line winger. Hadi Kalakeche

 

September 2022 – One of the older prospects available in this year’s draft, Brindley had an excellent sophomore season with Tri-City in the USHL where he was able to post 42 points in 51 games. Participating in the World Juniors as well, he notched a respectable four points in six games on a stacked USA team. Playing this year with the Michigan Wolverines, Brindley could be in line to light up the scoresheet regularly. 

Brindley is an excellent skater with great agility, speed, and edgework that make him a dynamic puck carrier. His skating ability is a massive part of his game, and he pairs it very nicely with his ability to keep his head up and move the puck. A playmaker at heart, Brindley has quick hands in tight that he is able to change the angle of his passing lanes to deceive and beat defenders and feed pucks into scoring areas. His shot is a solid tool of his as he has a quick release on it, it is very powerful and accurate, and he likes to use it and creates rebound chances from it. He is constantly on the move and plays with high intensity, frequently darting into open space and getting to the dirty areas to duke it out with the defense. As a smaller player, he does find himself physically outmatched at times around the net, but he does a great job peeling away from battles, and his quick acceleration can provide him with enough space to get a chance away before his man is able to close him down. His defensive game is still improving, but he is decent in his own end and closes down pucks very quickly, and can be known to line up a hit. He blends skill and tenacity together in an effective way, and Brindley can be an effective player in the top-six or top-nine of a lineup. A high-octane Wolverine offensive system could be something he really thrives in, and his progression throughout the season will be fun to watch. Alexander Annun

 

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 8.5
NHL Certainty 8.5
Country USA
Position RW
Roster Type NCAA
Shoot/Glove Right
Date of Birth October 5, 2004
Height 5‘9”
Weight 170 lbs
Drafted 2023 Round 2; Overall: 34

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2013-2014 Team Minnesota Brick Invitational6 1 23 4|        
 2016-2017 East Coast Selects O U13WSI U135 3 14 2|        
  Florida Alliance PWQC Int PW3 4 37 0|        
 2017-2018 East Coast Selects O U14WSI U148 6 410 -|        
 2018-2019 Florida Alliance 14U AAA14U AAA- - -- -|        
  East Coast Selects O U15WSI U159 3 47 0|        
 2019-2020 Team Columbia USA-S154 2 46 0|        
  Florida Alliance 16U AAANAPHL 16U15 17 2542 4|Playoffs5 4 37
  USA U16 YOG4 1 12 0|        
 2020-2021 Tri-City StormUSHL51 9 1322 18|Playoffs3 1 12
 2021-2022 Tri-City StormUSHL51 14 2842 33|Playoffs3 1 12
  U.S. National U18 TeamNTDP15 2 79 8|        
  USA U18WJC-186 1 34 2|        
 2022-2023 Univ. of MichiganNCAA41 12 2638 22|        
  USA U20WJC-207 1 34 4|        
 2023-2024 Univ. of MichiganNCAA40 25 2853 28|        
  Columbus Blue JacketsNHL1 0 00 0|        
  USA U20WJC-207 6 410 0|        
  USAWC5 1 01 0|        
 2024-2025 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL- - -- -|        

Highlights