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Avalanche forward Ross Colton off to a torrid start
By Neil Becker

Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton just keeps on producing.
This former Tampa Bay Lightning forward who is beginning his second season with the Avalanche
has gotten off to a torrid start which after six games finds him in a three -way tie for second in the league with six goals scored.

Colton, who finds himself playing with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the team’s first line enjoyed arguably his best game on Sunday, October 20th when during a 4-1 win at SAP Center against the San Jose Sharks, this 28- year-old made his presence known by producing four shots on goal while delivering two hits and scoring two goals.

So far in the early season, Colorado have dealt with injuries and inconsistency but Colton, who is 28 years-old has with his strong play emerged as a real surprise.
Last season this 2021 Stanley Cup winner with Tampa Bay definitely made a solid impression during his first year with the Avalanche when he scored 17 goals along with a career best 40 points.

Besides scoring Colton can also play physical as he led the Avalanche during last springs playoffs with 43 hits.
So far this season Colton has scored three power-play goals and has accumulated seven points and has been a positive in a tough start to the season which has seen the Avalanche after seven games get off to a less than ideal 3-4 record.

October has been the perfect time for Colton to get hot as the Avalanche are currently missing some of their gifted offensive forwards such as Jonathan Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen.

Originally drafted by the Lightning in 2016 118th overall, Colton played three seasons with them and had his biggest moment in the spring of 2021 when he became the seventh U.S. born player to score the Stanley Cup winning goal which came in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens to make the Lightning back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

Colton, who wasn’t on the 2020 Stanley Cup winning team, was just before the 2023 NHL Entry Draft traded to the Avalanche in exchange for a second- round pick. Heading into this season he has played 270 career games and has scored 64 goals along with 123 points while racking up 151 PIM’s.

With the Avalanche experiencing so many key injuries up front, Colton has really come through in the clutch with what after a month or so is shaping up to be a break -through season.
Time will tell if while playing on the first line with two studs, can continue to score at a rapid rate.