The Colorado Avalanche acquired Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton on Wednesday, hours before the start of the NHL Draft.
The Avalanche sent the 37e 2023 draft pick, previously obtained from the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, in a trade involving forward Alex Newhook.
This trade between the Lightning and the Avalanche seems to signal the end of forward JT Compher in Colorado. An unnamed source told The Associated Press that Compher will test the free agent market in the coming days.
Colton could fill that void as the Avalanche’s recent acquisition. The team also traded to land Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen.
The 26-year-old Colton is a restricted free agent. He should get a pay rise from the 1.25 million US he pocketed during the last campaign.
Colton has 102 points in 240 NHL season and playoff games.
The Avalanche are trying to rebuild a bit, knowing captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss a second straight season as he recovers from surgery on his left knee to replace cartilage. The Colorado team was able to place him on the long-term injured reserve and use the seven million space under the salary cap.