Looking back at Ross Colton's incredible sophomore season with the Colorado Avalanche

The Lightning traded the pending restricted free agent to the Colorado Avalanche on June 28, 2023, for a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

In his second year with the Avalanche, Ross Colton recorded 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) over 61 games, despite missing 21 games due to injury. He had a strong start to the season, tallying nine points (8 goals, 1 assist) in the first nine games, including four power-play goals. That stretch featured a three-game goal streak from October 16-20, with Colton scoring twice in two of those contests, both of which were the team's first wins of the season.

That stretch featured two of Colton's three multi-goal games, contributed to seven multi-point performances overall, and accounted for two of his career-best five power-play goals during the 2024-25 season. By the end of October, Colton was tied for sixth in the NHL in goals with eight.

According to Coby Maeir from NHL.com, Colton is also the only player in the NHL to score at least 15 goals in each of the past four seasons while averaging under 15 minutes of ice time per game.

Another of Colton's game-winning goals came in an unusual way. During the Avalanche's 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on January 9th, Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm tried to make a breakout pass from behind his own net, but the puck landed directly on Colton's stick, allowing him to capitalize and score.

Colton enters the 2025-26 season with two years remaining on his contract. He's 69 games from 400, 20 goals from 100, 28 assists from 100 and 48 points from 200.

Source:
NHL.com
Ross Colton Hit the Ground Running in Second Season with Avalanche