The Colorado Avalanche have signed RFA forward Ross Colton to a new 4 year contract the team announced Monday.
The deal will carry a $4M AAV and total $16M through the 2026-27 season. The 26 year old will have a modified no trade clause in the final 2 years of his contract, and will earn a $500K signing bonus in 2024-25.
Colton was a cap casualty in Tampa Bay, and was flipped to the Avalanche in exchange for a 2023 2nd round pick at this year’s draft. In 81 games with the Lightning in 2022-23, the Robbinsville, NJ native posted 32pts (16G, 16A) along with 50 PIMs and a -8 rating.
The 6’ center was originally selected 118th overall by Tampa Bay in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Colton played his junior hockey with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL before playing 2 years at the University of Vermont.
There he appeared in 69 contests, registering 50pts (28G, 22A) and 69 PIMs. He cut his teeth at the AHL level with Tampa’s affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch before joining the big club permanently in 2020-21.
Colton scored what would prove to be the Stanley Cup clinching goal with the team in 2021. His new deal avoids arbitration and will keep him in Colorado until his age 31 season.
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