Chris MacFarland is officially on the board as Nashville Predators GM, as he made his first ever trade for the team in gold on Tuesday afternoon. MacFarland acquired forward Ross Colton from his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, while sacrificing two third round picks and making a minor swap of goaltenders in the process.
This trade should not have drastic long-term implications for the Predators, as Colton only has one year left on his contract and is known as a middle to bottom six player. Most likely, he will be traded at the 2027 Trade Deadline and his tenure in Nashville will not last very long.
That being said, Colton certainly has his strengths as a player, and in particular, has qualities that should serve the Predators well. This move does not give away the rest of MacFarland's offseason strategy, but from whatever angle you look at it, you can chalk this up to a sensible move on his part.
Nashville Predators were appropriately selective in trade for Ross Colton
As an actual player, Colton can be described as a strong depth center who consistently elevates his team when he is on the ice. He usually scores 15-20 goals per season, has a powerful shot, plays a physical game, and has strong underlying numbers at 5-on-5 play.
He also has legitimate playoff experience and showed up in some big moments for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their playoff runs years ago. He had a down year production wise in 2025-26, but his ice time was low, and regardless, a player of Colton's skill and intangibles is a smart addition to the middle six.
As far as his specific fit on the Predators, he strengthens the center depth, and he obviously has the familiarity with MacFarland. It is one of those situations where it makes sense to trust that the GM brought a player in for a key reason since they know each other so well.
Even though we do not know the full offseason plan yet, we are all but certain that the Predators will have several young players, especially at center. Adding a guy like Colton stabilizes things for the time being, and the young guys such as Matthew Wood and Brady Martin can also learn from him and his experience in the NHL.
It is also worth noting that Colton does not block any of the prospects or youngsters from claiming a center spot if they earn it, as he can play wing if needed as well. Furthermore, he played on a strong line alongside Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay, so you never know if those two can regain their chemistry if Stamkos returns in 2026-27.
If the expected scenario plays out, and he is traded at the 2027 deadline, there is a strong chance he can fetch as good if not more of a return than the Predators paid for him. He is in a situation where he has a strong chance to succeed, and GM's have shown willingness to buy high for depth players they think can elevate their playoff runs.
If he does so well that the Predators want to keep him long term, that is great too, so long as they do not overpay him. It feels like move that should yield a good outcome, because at worse he is a quality stopgap who the GM is familiar with, and at best, they have a key depth piece moving forward.
This also means that Erik Haula is very likely walking in free agency, and you have to wonder if this makes Ryan O'Reilly slightly more expendable. At the very least, we can be confident that one of those two veterans will not be back in 2026-27.
All in all, it is a solid decision by MacFarland to weaponize the draft capital and acquire a player who should be a strong fit with his forward group. Whether the Predators do a full blown rebuild or more of a soft reset, Colton will have a meaningful role on this team.
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