Maple Leafs acquire Stanley Cup champion forward from the Avs in a trade pitch.
Ross Colton’s name has been involved in trade rumors this offseason and one trade pitch sees the Stanley Cup-winning forward being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Colorado Avalanche acquired Colton in the summer of 2023 from the Tampa Bay Lightning, after scoring the Cup-clinching goal in 2021. He signed a four-year $16 million deal, but due to Colorado being up against the salary cap, he has been considered a potential trade target.
The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Colton.
On paper, the trade does make sense for both teams, and a deal that could come to fruition. The Maple Leafs have yet to address their forward group in free agency and have a surplus of defensemen while Colorado saves $1 million on the salary cap by making the move.
Colton was a key player in the Lightning’s Stanley Cup-winning team in 2021, so he would add more playoff experience to the Maple Leafs lineup. Colton could be Toronto’s third-line center and be part of a shutdown line in the playoffs, which is what he did in Tampa Bay.
Last season with the Avalanche, Colton recorded 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points in 80 games.
Colorado, meanwhile, would add Timothy Liljegren who would help bolster the Avalanche defensive core. The Avalanche did sign Calvin de Haan and Oliver Kylington to be on their third pair, but Liljegren could take one of their spots to make their D-core that much deeper.
Liljegren did sign a two-year $6 million extension with the Maple Leafs this offseason, but he still has been part of trade rumors. Last season, Liljegren recorded 3 goals and 20 assists for 23 points in 55 games.
