REPORT: Another Insider Says Colton Is On Trade Market

Everyone was a little caught off guard last week when Avalanche center Ross Colton’s name was brought up as potentially being on the trade market. No one had mentioned his name previously, and it kind of came out of nowhere. Frank Seravalli with Daily Faceoff was the only person to mention Colton as a potential trade candidate in Colorado.

That is, until today.

Speaking on 102.5 The Game in Nashville, Elliotte Friedman was going through a list of players that might make sense or have been linked to the Nashville Predators in recent days. That’s when he brought up the 27 year old Avalanche forward.

“The other guy someone told me to look for as well at center is Ross Colton,” Friedman said. “It’s an interesting one. His name is new to the trade market. He’s got a no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1, and Colorado needs some flexibility. He’s a good player. I do think Ross Colton is a player on Nashville’s radar.”

Again, a players name being brought up as potentially being on the trade block doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be traded, but with two NHL insiders now mentioning his name, it does make it seem like there’s a possibility the Avalanche move Colton. With Casey Mittelstadt signing his extension earlier this week, the Avalanche will be paying their top two centers a combined $18.35 million next season. Colton provides value at $4 million a season for the next three years, but the team might prefer to have that money spent elsewhere.

Jonathan Drouin is days away from hitting the open market as an unrestricted free agent, and the Avalanche might not be able to re-sign him with where things currently stand. Moving Colton out might free up money to give Drouin an extension.

I’m currently in Las Vegas for the NHL Awards, which take place tonight, as well as the NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday. The Avalanche and GM Chris MacFarland certainly aren’t going to comment on rumors, but with every NHL team in town, this is when a lot of business takes place. We’ll see if Colorado makes any moves to free up space before free agency opens up at 10 AM MST on July 1.