The Colorado Avalanche are staring down a mathematical reality they simply cannot ignore. With the NHL salary cap locked in at $104 million for next season, General Manager Chris MacFarland has a complex roster puzzle to solve. The good news? Colorado has 17 active roster players signed through the 2026-27 campaign, keeping their championship-caliber core largely intact. The bad news? That leaves them with less than $3 million in functional salary cap space to fill out the remaining roster slots. Something has to give.
Enter Ross Colton.
Why Ross Colton is the Prime Offseason Trade Candidate
Corey Masisak of The Denver Post recently highlighted Colton as the most logical cap casualty this offseason. Carrying a $4 million cap hit with one year remaining on his deal, the gritty forward has found his name cemented at the top of the Colorado Avalanche trade rumors board. If you’re looking for the pressure point on this roster, it’s Colton. But moving him isn’t as simple as executing a standard salary dump; his contract includes a major roadblock that gives him the ultimate leverage over his own future.
Navigating Ross Colton’s 12-Team No-Trade Clause
From a pure asset management standpoint, Colton is the most obvious trade candidate in Denver. However, he holds a 12-team no-trade list. This gives him a significant measure of control over where he could go, effectively shrinking the market for MacFarland. You can’t just ship a $4 million contract to a rebuilding team with cap space if that team happens to be on Colton’s restricted list.
The reality is that Colton’s stock has taken a hit. He has struggled offensively over the past two seasons, failing to consistently provide the secondary scoring the Avalanche desperately need behind Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. Being made a healthy scratch at the start of this past postseason was a glaring red flag. When a Cup-contending team scratches a $4 million asset in the playoffs, the writing is usually on the wall.
Ross Colton Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 404 | 89 | 87 | 176 | -1 |
| Playoffs | 70 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 3 |
If the Avalanche manage to navigate his no-trade list and move that $4 million off the books, it provides much-needed breathing room to re-sign their depth pieces or target a cheaper, more productive bottom-six option in free agency. My take as an NHL analyst: Colorado simply cannot afford a luxury like an underperforming, scratch-candidate forward at that price tag. Finding a trade partner who believes a change of scenery will revive Colton’s game is paramount for the Avalanche’s offseason success.
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