Columbus Waives Miles Wood, Ending a Trade That Aged Like Milk

The Columbus Blue Jackets just threw Miles Wood on the waiver wire, officially ending an experiment that felt cursed from the jump. Elliotte Friedman broke the news on Saturday, confirming that Columbus is cutting bait right before the regular season gets rolling.

If you are keeping track at home, Columbus acquired Wood and Charlie Coyle from the Colorado Avalanche back in June 2025. They gave up a 2027 second-round pick, a 2026 third-rounder, and prospect Gavin Brindley for the privilege of paying a guy to spend half his tenure in the trainer's room.

Wood’s first season in Columbus was a masterclass in bad luck. He battled a lower-body injury that derailed his winter, limiting him to just 54 games. When you are a physical winger whose entire game relies on speed and crashing the net, bad legs are a career death sentence.

For anyone looking at the Blue Jackets' futures market, this is a pure roster-clearing move. Columbus is coming off a chaotic preseason stretch, getting smoked 5-1 by the Buffalo Sabres before bouncing back with a 4-0 shutout over the Pittsburgh Penguins. They need healthy bodies, not expensive rehab projects taking up a roster spot.

Now we wait to see if another general manager thinks they can fix him. Wood is officially available for free to anyone willing to take on the risk. Meanwhile, Columbus heads to play the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night to wrap up their preseason schedule, finally moving on from a trade that aged like milk left in a hot car.