Trade Analysis: MacFarland Heists Ross Colton Out of Tampa Bay

He's young, tough, can score and has won a Cup

Well, I like the Alex Newhook trade a lot more now.

I didn’t like the deal at first, when Newhook brought two draft picks and a throw-in D-man from Montreal. But this morning, Avs GM Chris MacFarland parlayed one of those picks (No. 37, in the second round) to get young center-LW Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ross Colton, a guy who scored 22 goals two years ago and scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Lightning in 2021, for just a second-round pick? That should be prosecuted as a crime, for first-degree burglary.

In my analysis of the Newhook deal, I said I’d reserve full judgment in case MacFarland flipped one of some of the picks for a better player who could help now, and that’s exactly what he did.

While I still believe Newhook could become a strong, high-scoring player, the fact is the Avs just got a player who is further ahead of Newhook in their respective careers.

Here’s what the Avs are getting in the 26-year-old New Jersey native, and why this is a steal by MacFarland: