Colton Ready to Bring Energy, Passion to New Role With Preds

Chris MacFarland didn’t waste much time adding Ross Colton to his new team. 

Exactly two weeks after he was named President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, MacFarland acquired the 29-year-old forward from Colorado in a deal that saw the Predators add a Stanley Cup Champion to the roster. 

Having seen Colton up close with the Avalanche over the past three seasons, MacFarland knows exactly what he’s getting in the six-year veteran - and after Colton addressed the Nashville media for the first time on Tuesday, the excitement of the addition is mutual. 

“Right away when I found out it was Nashville, I was obviously pretty pumped,” Colton said of being traded to the Preds. “‘C-Mac’ coming over from Colorado, I think it's pretty cool that he becomes GM and then I'm traded over a couple days later. I think it just goes to show that he has some belief in me, which I think is so awesome as a player when the GM believes in you. And then I've played against Nashville for a while here with Tampa and then in Colorado, so obviously an amazing team, an amazing organization and city, and they've always been a team that battles, comes in every night and is tough to play against. So, I feel like my style of play is going to fit in really well right away.”

As MacFarland has described previously, that style from Colton involves grit, competitiveness and versatility for someone who has the ability to play both center and on the wing. Now, Colton is eager to show what he can do on a new team while in the final year of his current contract. 

“I'm just a guy that likes to come in and bring a lot of energy,” Colton said. “I play with passion. I want to win just as much as anyone else does. So, I just want to come in and kind of be that spark that can play up and down the lineup. I like to think that I could produce offensively, and I'm a physical guy that likes to throw the body around and…be an energy piece night in and night out. The team is shaping out to be really deep this year, and [MacFarland’s] brought in some guys that are obviously going to come in and compete for spots, and it’s going to be awesome to get down there in training camp and see how everything shakes down. But again, I know what my game is, and I know what I can bring, so I’m looking forward to coming down to Nashville and showing up.”

After winning a Stanley Cup - and scoring what proved to be the Cup clinching goal - as a rookie with Tampa Bay in 2021, Colton tallied a career-high 22 goals in his sophomore campaign with the Lightning. 

Following his first three NHL seasons with the Bolts, Colton was dealt to Colorado where he recorded a career-high 40 points with the Avalanche in 2023-24. 

The 6-foot, 194-pound forward - who has scored 89 goals over six seasons in the League - also knows how to throw his weight around. His 159 hits last season ranked third on the Avalanche, and that’s an element Colton knows he’ll bring to his new club as well. 

“When I'm at my best, I feel like I'm just playing fast, I’m playing physical…and I’ll just kind of bring that energy on a nightly basis,” Colton said. “I’ll kind of be an agitator, get under the [other] team’s skin with little things, and obviously being smart and staying out of the box, but I feel like you just need guys like that that are tough to play against. That’s [when I’m at] my best, and I feel like that'll fit well in [Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette’s] system."

Colton has also developed a playoff pedigree with 28 points (13g-5a) in 75 career Stanley Cup Playoff games while reaching the postseason each of his six NHL campaigns.

His regular-season offensive numbers dipped a bit over the past two years, but MacFarland believes the New Jersey native will have a chance to play a larger role in Nashville than he did with an incredibly deep Avalanche team last season. 

Colton feels the same, and for a player who says he’ll “do anything that it takes to win,” the chance for a fresh start in Nashville is enticing. 

“I’m looking forward to a new team, new organization…and obviously ‘C-Mac’ brought me over, he believes in me and he knows what I can do as a player on and off the ice for the organization,” Colton said. “I want to do whatever I can to help the team win. I think that's what I do, and like I said, I just want to win so bad. I’m just the type of guy that I come with a smile and I do my job, and at the end of the day, if the team's getting two points, I'm obviously super excited. I’m just looking forward to getting down there, maybe form some chemistry with some linemates and kind of get rolling from day one.”

At the very least, Colton will have some familiar faces to gel with from the moment he sets foot into town. Not only will he be joining a recent Colorado teammate in Jack Drury, but he also won the Cup with Preds forward Steven Stamkos when the veteran forward was captain of the Lightning. 

That experience was memorable, to say the least, and Colton is rather excited for the chance to reunite with one of the greatest players in NHL history once more. 

“‘Stammer,’ he’s obviously the best,” Colton said of Stamkos. “ I obviously loved watching him when I was a little younger, and then being able to play with him was super special. And becoming a champion with him was just the icing on top… He’s an amazing player and probably the best leader that I've ever had in a locker room. Whenever he speaks, everyone kind of perks up and listens to what he says… He was probably the first guy to text me and [tell me to] reach out if I need help, and his wife texted my fiancee as well, so it’s always nice to have people in your corner.”

Another one of Colton’s former teammates in Colorado - longtime Preds fan-favorite and recently retired center, Ryan Johansen - also reached out to offer assistance acclimating to the new surroundings. 

As a result, Colton seemingly won’t have much trouble finding his way around town thanks to his companions already settled in Tennessee. 

Considering his infectious attitude, establishing himself on the ice and in the room with his new club won’t be difficult either. 

And what MacFarland already knows will soon become clear to the Preds faithful as well. 

“[Nashville has] definitely got to be number one on the city, the destinations that you're hoping to get traded to,” Colton said. “I’m super excited to get down there, and I can't wait to get to work.”