Miles Wood’s year can be summed up by a two‑part oddity: he scored eight goals, all of them on the road, and every one of them before December 6th. From that point on, the scoring touch that briefly flickered simply vanished. Just 22 games into the season, Wood had eight goals and was on pace for just under 30, which would’ve been far and away a career high.
Then the bottom fell out. Through the rest of December, Wood went ten straight games without recording a single point.Â
Then came the moment that ended up defining his season.Â
On New Year’s Eve against his longtime former team, the New Jersey Devils, Wood’s skate tangled with the stick of former teammate Ondrej Palat. He crashed awkwardly into the side boards, landing heavily on his left leg. He needed help getting off the ice and was placed on IR the next day, missing the next eleven games.
When he returned nearly a month later on January 28th, he didn’t look like the same player. The straight‑line speed that makes him one of the league’s top twenty skaters evaporated. His shot volume cratered. Per NHL Edge, he managed just two bursts over 25.5 mph after the injury, which is nothing short of a stunning drop for a player whose game relies on his speed.
The production never recovered. Wood finished the year with an 8‑6‑14 line in 54 games, a -10 rating, and 26 penalty minutes. He recorded only two points after the calendar flipped, both assists. MoneyPuck’s numbers paint the same bleak picture: his On‑Ice Goals % at even strength was the worst among Jackets forwards with at least 150 minutes, and his On‑Ice Expected Goals % was second‑worst among forwards who logged 250 minutes and spent the full season in Columbus, ahead of only Isac Lundestrom.
There’s really only one way to summarize his season: disappointing. We all saw the early‑season flashes of what he looks like at his best, a burner who can tilt the ice on the forecheck and finish rush chances with authority. But the injury clearly robbed him of the mobility that makes his game work, and the version of Wood who returned in late January never found his footing again.
Wood has three more seasons left on his deal at a $2.5 million AAV, and as such, he isn’t going anywhere unless the Jackets pursue an unlikely buyout. The best‑case scenario for Jackets fans is simple: he uses the summer to fully heal, regains the speed that makes him dangerous, and returns ready to help push the Union Blue toward the playoffs in 2027.
Add us as a preferred source on Google