What the Ross Colton Trade Means for the Predators

The Nashville Predators made a surprising move for fans who wanted to see the start of a rebuild. They traded a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and goaltender Magnus Chrona to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Ross Colton and goaltender Isak Posch.

General manager (GM) Chris MacFarland reunited with a player he acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning when he was GM of the Avalanche, and Colton has great value to the Predators. He’s a fast skater who shoots first (and well) and is competent in his own zone.

This season was a down year for Colton, as he earned just nine goals and 15 assists in 73 games with a plus-9 plus/minus. However, with the Avalanche acquiring Nazem Kadri, Colton was pushed to the bottom six. He averaged around 16 goals a season in the last three before this one.

With Nashville, he could be a middle-six forward and earn a bounce-back season. Regardless of his bounce back, this trade says a lot about what the Predators are going to do this offseason.

Erik Haula Is Probably Gone

With Colton’s trade, it probably means Erik Haula is going to depart for free agency. The 35-year-old was brought in as trade bait after the New Jersey Devils shipped him off last offseason. The Predators never traded him, but Haula had a nice season, with 14 goals and 24 assists through 81 games.

There was some thought that the Predators would re-sign him with the season he had. With the underwhelming free agency crop and the Predators’ potential rebuild, a short-term deal would’ve made sense.

However, Colton fills Haula’s role as a two-way forward, and he’s younger and more adept at goal-scoring. That probably means Haula will hit the open market, and unfortunately, Nashville won’t get anything for him unless they miraculously complete a sign-and-trade.

No Dismantling in the Offseason

It also probably means the Predators are not going to tear it down to the studs over the offseason. With this move coming in tandem with head coach Andrew Brunette staying for another season, it’s clear the Predators are headed in this direction.

That probably means that Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos aren’t going anywhere, at least until the start of the 2026-27 season. It wouldn’t make sense to trade for Colton, then disassemble the roster. This isn’t the same as the Calgary Flames trading for Ryan Strome because the Flames were looking for bodies to add to the roster after trading Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, and Rasmus Andersson.

Colton is the kind of player that would fit well in Brunette’s system. He hustles, wins puck battles, is speedy, and has positional flexibility. The Predators are thinking short-term roster stability with this move.

Maybe a Harvest Next Year?

While the Predators don’t appear set to commit to a full rebuild this offseason, this move could hint at a fire sale deadline next season if things don’t go well. That is due to contract timing.

Colton is a free agent at the end of the 2026-27 season, and so are O’Reilly and Nick Perbix. Luke Evangelista, Matthew Wood, Cole O’Hara, Reid Schaefer, Joakim Kemell, Ryan Ufko, Adam Wilsby, and new acquisition Vitali Pinchuk are all restricted free agents, with Evangelista and Wilsby becoming arbitration-eligible.

If the Predators start off the 2026-27 season like they started the 2025-26 season, they will have a lot to play with at the deadline. They did decently well, trading Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, Michael Bunting, and Nick Blankenburg for a second-round pick, two third-round picks, and a fifth-round pick.

While some fans were disappointed that the Predators didn’t sell more, that’s still a good amount of draft capital. Imagine how much more Nashville can get at the next trade deadline.

Do the Predators Add More to Their Roster?

With Colton’s acquisition, the question now becomes if Nashville is going to add a little more over the offseason. With Pinchuk and now Colton, they’ve supplanted the forward core with some interesting buy-low options next season.

I think the Predators could get another defenseman, though. That could come from a lower-tier veteran or a high pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Defense is a hole in the prospect pool, too, so they could get a player they feel is close to NHL-ready.

If they wanted to sign free agents, they’d have to be more culture setters vs. impact talent. The players would be signed to short-term deals that could be used as trade bait.