Ross Colton one of NHL’s top-25 offseason trade candidates

Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton could be on the move this summer.

And according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, Colton is a top-25 trade candidate in the NHL.

Johnston released his list on Thursday that includes 23 players and two draft picks on his “offseason trade board.” Colton checked in at No. 22 overall.

With summer fast approaching, the expectation from a number of NHL executives is that the trade market will be hotter than free agency.

With that in mind, the @reporterchris Big Board returns.https://t.co/BMUog0O92X pic.twitter.com/Oooa0VPKyp

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 28, 2026

Ross Colton played in 73 games for the Avalanche during the regular season, registering nine goals and 15 assists, good for 24 points. He added two goals and three assists during 11 playoff games after being a healthy-scratch early in the Round 1 series against the Kings. It was a nice postseason for Colton after a regular season that felt like the net had a lid on it.

But because of his salary next season, Johnston thinks the Avalanche could look to trade him over the next few months.

“A bottom-six forward bringing in $4 million on a team with limited salary cap flexibility, Colton is a candidate to be moved out. He’s a reliable depth forward who gets to the tough areas of the ice and can chip in a bit offensively,” Johnston wrote.

Colorado currently only has about $3 million is salary cap space according to Puckpedia, so getting off Ross Colton makes sense to free up some money.

This is where Avalanche president Joe Sakic and GM Chris MacFarland will have to get creative. Many fans want to see them make a big splash, but that’s unlikely. It’s probably a trade like Colton and some other moves around the edges for a team that’s still very much a contender.

Yes, the Western Conference Final sweep by Vegas was bitterly disappointing, but there’s a sense Colorado could mostly run it back.

However the roster won’t entirely be the same and Ross Colton has been identified as a possible cap casualty. He was the only member of the Avalanche to make Johnston’s list, which you can see by clicking here.

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