There was clearly something in Miles Wood that the Avalanche were looking for. That was made clear by the six-year term the 27-year-old forward received on July 1 — a deal that will pay him $15 million ($2.5 million AAV). And it was later confirmed by Colorado’s latest addition.
“Talking with (general manager) Chris MacFarland, I’ve been on their radar for a few years now,” Wood said. “To hear that was a boost of confidence for me. Just to play for a GM and a team and a coach that really wanted me, that was the most important thing.”
Wood describes himself as a hard-nosed player that sticks up for his teammates and gets to the front of the net. It’s the type of asset the Avs desperately needed against a bigger and more aggressive Seattle Kraken team in the postseason. MacFarland’s commitment to Wood, who was drafted No. 100 overall in 2013, is a clear sign that Colorado isn’t interested in getting pushed around. Just one season removed from a Stanley Cup championship, the management team still felt it was necessary to rebuild the depth by bringing in guys like Wood and keep them here for the foreseeable future.
“I just like to play hard. Whether it’s the first line, fourth line, or second line, it doesn’t matter to me,” Wood said. “I know I’m going to a great team and I just can’t wait to chip in any way I can. And hopefully, we can have a lot of success here in the coming years.”
The Avs haven’t handed out term to depth forwards like Wood in recent years. It was something, admittedly, that MacFarland said was necessary to bring down the AAV on Wood’s contract to fit him in with the team’s salary cap structure. But at an AAV of just $2.5 million, it’s hard to really challenge this deal. It’s about as calculated a risk as the team could take for a player that’ll be locked up for a reasonable number until he’s 33.
As the cap rises over the next several seasons, $2.5 million will become more of the norm for fourth-line forwards. It’s already trending in that direction. Wood is slated to play on Colorado’s new-look third line this season, which will make him a bargain at that number. But in the future, as Wood potentially gets passed up on the depth chart, having him at $2.5 million on the fourth line will eventually, too, become a bargain.
To put it in simpler terms. The Avalanche didn’t overpay for a contract now that will later make sense. They have a deal that already makes sense, and will later develop into a bargain.
“That was my goal at the beginning of free agency. Trying to get term. And I was fortunate enough to get that,” he said. “This free agency a lot of one and two-year deals were handed out.”
Wood also provides a lot of speed — a common attribute in many, if not all, of the Avs’ notable additions over the past several years. Wood will fit in nicely alongside newly acquired center Ross Colton, but can also keep pace with Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar if he’s out for a shift with the top line.
“That was our structure in New Jersey as well. We played a fast, transition game,” Wood said, recalling the franchise he spent 10 years with. “We were a fast team. I know the Avs have a lot of speed too so hopefully I can fit right in there. The transition won’t be that hard.”
