Ross Colton talks trade to Avalanche, pending contract situation, favorite moments with Lightning

Ross Colton went to certain lengths to prepare himself for the moment, but it still inevitably hit him with a wall of emotion.

He had just gotten to the gym for a Wednesday morning workout in New Jersey and was “sitting on a turf, rolling out,” when the phone rang. It was Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois.

“These last couple of days, I’m not gonna lie, have been going by pretty slow,” Colton told The Denver Post. “I never keep my ringer on, but the last three days I had it on, turned up. So when I’m texting, people were mad that I was being obnoxious. But I was just getting nervous waiting for the call.”

During his exit interview with Tampa after the season, there wasn’t much talk about next year. “It was said that this is a business, and next year is kind of up in the air,” recalled Colton, a restricted free agent. “So once that was said, I kind of had an idea I was going to be moved.” He just didn’t know when or where. Over the course of the next two months, it became clear from conversations with his representation that he should expect to be traded around the NHL draft.

Yet still, when the call came from BriseBois sending Colton to Colorado, he felt like “I wasn’t fully expecting it.” His heart sank when he saw the caller ID.

Then he learned the destination.

The Avalanche chose a former Stanley Cup Final opponent to be one of the central pieces of their  offseason retool in the middle of the ice, trading a second-round pick for Colton on draft day. The 26-year-old was drafted and developed by the Lightning, spent the first three years of his NHL career in Tampa and even scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal as a rookie in 2021. So the move struck him as bittersweet — a sad farewell so early in his career, but a compelling new home worthy of anticipation.

“So many emotions were going through right in the moment of the call. … I understand it’s a business and they can’t keep everybody, but I can’t be more thankful for my time in Tampa Bay,” Colton said. “The organization believed in me to draft me however many years ago it was, and gave me the opportunity to play in Syracuse and be a part of a great team there and finally get called up. And then be a part of a championship team.

“But I’m going to a great organization who is known for winning, and we’re going to be contenders for many, many years to come. So a bunch of the guys have contacted me and said they’re super stoked to have me, so that always kind of settles you down.”

First, the Avs and Colton need to work out his next contract. The arbitration-eligible RFA is coming off a two-year deal with a $1.125 million average annual value. He’s due a raise — this trade was a salary cap casualty for the Lightning —  but the terms of his stay in Colorado haven’t been discussed yet, Colton said.

“Hopefully my agents and them are going to talk this weekend, and hopefully we’ll be able to get something worked out by this weekend, I think is the plan right now,” he said. “… I know everyone’s kind of busy with the draft.”

Colton received a call from Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland soon after BriseBois, during which MacFarland mentioned Colton’s faceoff prowess. It’s an area of Colton’s game that he has prided himself on; his win rate has steadily increased every season, culminating with a 56.1% mark in 2022-23. Colton can fit smoothly at center or wing, but that conversation topic may have been an indicator of Colorado’s intentions for him.

“It’s obviously such a big part of the game, so if they need me to take faceoffs, win faceoffs, it’s obviously something I would love to do,” Colton said. “Or if they want me playing wing, then it is what it is. I’m kind of up for whatever.”

His connections with the current Avalanche roster are minimal, which made it all the more comforting when he received texts from his new teammates after the trade. A call from Hockey Hall of Famer and Avalanche president Joe Sakic helped, too. But there is one old friend in the organization: minor leaguer Cal Burke, who spends most of his time with the AHL Colorado Eagles but was called up for two NHL games last season. Colton and Burke played junior hockey together, and Colton was at Burke’s wedding.

There’s also a nemesis (not really) waiting for Colton in Colorado. Avalanche winger Logan O’Connor might even be the newcomer’s eventual linemate, but the two dropped the gloves in Game 3 of the Cup Final last year. Then they did it again during a regular-season rematch. O’Connor has been in four career fights. Half of them have coincidentally been against Colton.