Why Miles Wood Hit Waivers and What Happens Next
Miles Wood's contract became a problem at the worst time for the Columbus Blue Jackets. TSN reported that the team placed the veteran winger on waivers less than a week before its season opener. That procedural move tells a larger story about roster construction, cap space, and a deal that no longer fits.
Wood is a 31-year-old Buffalo native entering the fourth season of a six-year, $15 million contract. His average annual value is $2.5 million. In 54 games with Columbus last season, his first with the franchise, he scored eight goals and added six assists. Those numbers made him a depth forward, not a core piece. His contract, though, was built for a time when the Avalanche valued his speed and forechecking more than the money.
Columbus obtained Wood from Colorado in June 2025. That trade was about cap relief for the Avalanche, not a desire to move on from Wood. Colorado needed space and sent Charlie Coyle to Columbus, with Wood attached. Mile High Sticking wrote that the trade was unpopular with Avalanche fans but necessary given the team's cap crunch.
Why put Wood on waivers now? 1st Ohio Battery, a Blue Jackets fan forum, saw it as a cap casualty. Wood was the most expensive of the fourth-line forwards left on the roster. The forum's interpretation was that waiving him helped Columbus get back under the salary cap. It added that long-term injured reserve moves could leave a little room to sign defenseman Carson Soucy, whose potential addition would make sense while the timelines for Fabbro and Severson remained unclear. That part of the analysis is speculation, not official confirmation.
Waivers expose a player's contract to the rest of the league. If another team claims him, that team takes over the deal. If nobody does, he clears and can be assigned to the minors. Mile High Sticking reported that Wood cleared. The same article said it was unlikely he would play in the NHL in Columbus this season and that the Blue Jackets had been asking teams interested in Kirill Marchenko to take on Wood's contract as part of a trade.
No trade had been reported, and no assignment had been announced. The immediate business, though, was clear. Columbus needed cap flexibility heading into opening night, and waiving Wood was one way to get it. Where Wood plays next remains an open question, but his contract and his experience make him a name to watch as teams finalize their rosters.