Ross Colton

Ross Colton

29-Year-Old Left WingLW
Colorado Avalanche
Out
Injury Lower Body
Est. Return 1/28/2026
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Colton suffered a few injuries in 2024-25, including a broken foot and a pulled groin. That limited him to 61 regular-season games and also kept him out of the playoffs. Those significant absences led to him producing just 29 points in 61 contests, which is fine offense, but it was his lowest total in the last four years. Colton has a harder path to top-six minutes, which will likely have to come on the wing after the Avalanche acquired Brock Nelson to improve the team's center depth. He can still move up to cover for injury absences, but Colton isn't much of an option in most fantasy formats if he's stuck on the third line, though he can make up for a lack of scoring with his hitting, as he's exceeded 140 hits in four straight years. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the Avalanche in July of 2023.
Will miss another game
LWColorado Avalanche
Lower Body
January 25, 2026
Colton (lower body) didn't take part in warmups and will miss Sunday's contest against the Maple Leafs, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.
ANALYSIS
Colton will miss a second straight game due to an injury sustained Wednesday against the Ducks. His status remains day-to-day, so there's a chance that he could return for the following Avalanche game which is Wednesday at the Senators. The 29-year-old has five goals and 15 assists in 48 games on the season.
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2025 NHL Game Log
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2025 NHL Game Log
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2024 NHL Game Log
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2023 NHL Game Log
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2025–26 Time On Ice Stats
  • Average Time On Ice:
    12:56
  • Average Power Play TOI:
    0:53
  • Average Short-Handed TOI:
    0:04
 
Ice Time
Power Play
Short-Handed
2023–24
13:43
1:25
0:07
2024–25
14:25
1:36
0:06
2025–26
12:56
0:53
0:04
Avalanche Depth Chart
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Avalanche Power Play Depth Chart
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ross Colton See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ross Colton See More
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
2021
Colton's first season in Colorado was a fairly successful one, as he managed to rack up 17 goals and 23 assists for a career-high 40 points. It was the third straight season in which the versatile forward was able to reach the 30-point threshold. On the power play, the New Jersey native had a fairly minimal impact, recording three goals and two assists with the man advantage, but he should keep his role with the second unit heading into the 2024-25 campaign. As such, Colton figures to be a decent depth option in fantasy with a slightly higher ceiling thanks to being a part of Colorado's high-powered offense.
Colorado and Tampa Bay are the two best run organizations in the NHL, so it was amusing to see the former acquire Colton from the latter in late June for a second-rounder (Ethan Gauthier) in the 2023 draft. The Avalanche immediately inked Colton, who had 16 goals and 32 points in 81 games for the Lightning a season ago, to a new four-year, $16 million deal. Colton's fantasy value shouldn't change much in his new location. Roughly 20 goals, 40 points, 150 shots on goal and 175 hits feels right. That's enough all-around fantasy production for a late-round stab in deeper formats. The former University of Vermont product will be 27 years old right before training camp begins.
No team in the NHL does a better job with mid-to-late round draft picks and undrafted free agents than the Lightning and Colton is the latest example of that trend. The New Jersey native established himself as a regular for Tampa Bay in 2021-22, finishing with 22 goals and 39 points in 79 games. Colton added 159 shots on goal and 153 hits for good measure. He isn't a threat to crack the Lightning's top six any time soon, but Colton saw time on the club's second power-play unit last year, which helps strengthen his floor from a fantasy perspective. There's definitely room at the back end of drafts for a player like Colton who should post upwards of 20 goals and 150-plus hits in 2022-23.
The Lightning have proven they can turn almost anyone into a useful NHL player and Colton is the latest example. A University of Vermont product and former fourth-round pick (2016), Colton seized a full-time role in Tampa Bay in late March and never relinquished it. He finished with nine goals and 12 points in 30 regular-season games, in addition to suiting up in all 23 (four goals, two assists) of Tampa's postseason contests in a run to a second straight Stanley Cup championship. Colton seems likely to begin the 2021-22 campaign on Tampa Bay's third line (thus having limited fantasy appeal), but this is the type of player the Lightning have had success with in the past and it wouldn't be surprising to see Colton outperform expectations.
More Fantasy News
Won't play Friday
LWColorado Avalanche
Lower Body
January 23, 2026
Colton has been ruled out for Friday's game against Philadelphia due to a lower-body injury, Aarif Dean of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
ANALYSIS
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Playing Friday
LWColorado Avalanche
January 16, 2026
Colton (upper body) will be in the lineup versus the Predators on Friday, Conor McGahey of Altitude TV reports.
ANALYSIS
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Dealing with upper-body injury
LWColorado Avalanche
Upper Body
January 15, 2026
Colton is questionable against the Predators on Friday due to an upper-body injury, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
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Distributes three helpers
LWColorado Avalanche
January 8, 2026
Colton notched three assists, four shots on goal, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Senators.
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Bags apple Monday
LWColorado Avalanche
December 30, 2025
Colton notched an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and two PIM in Monday's 5-2 win over the Kings.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Target for Nashville?
LWColorado Avalanche
June 27, 2024
Colton could be a trade target for the Predators, Nick Kieser of 102.5 ESPN Nashville reports.
ANALYSIS
Colton has a no-trade clause that kicks in July 1, but it's rumored the Avalanche are looking to deal the forward. The Predators could deploy Colton in a middle-six role, though his $4 million cap hit would make him Nashville's third-highest-paid forward if the Avalanche don't retain salary.
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