The Colorado Avalanche have made their first move of the offseason. It has been less than a week since Joe Sakic returned to the role of general manager, and the moves have already started. This initial trade isn’t unexpected, given its connection to the Nashville Predators. Chris MacFarland’s leadership in Music City makes this outcome unsurprising. Colorado sent Ross Colton and Isak Posch to Nashville in exchange for goaltender Magnus Chrona and a pair of picks. The draft picks will be a third-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Why send Colton away?

Ross Colton has been a kind of odd fit on the Avalanche for the last couple of seasons. The Avs tried to make a move with him last summer, but nothing really materialized. His first season with the Colorado was his best in the NHL. He had 40 points (17g/23a), but the following season multiple injuries sidetracked him. With the failure of the power play for the Avs, Colton experienced his worst season since his rookie year, tallying only 24 points.

At some points for Colton, you could see the frustration was obvious. After taking a shot, he would look to the sky. He always had a positive attitude, though. A fresh start in Nashville will probably be best for Colton.

Why send Posch away?

Isak Posch, who will be in the final year of his entry-level contract, is not much of a surprise. The Swede was forced into the starting position for the Eagles with the injury to Mackenzie Blackwood. To be fair, Posch handled it well. He won his first four appearances in net for the Colorado Eagles, eventually earning a trip to the All-Star Classic. Posch was part of the reason the Eagles got off to a hot start. Then, after the All-Star Classic, Posch showed how much the season was catching up to him. He went from allowing one or two goals a game to four or five. It got to the point where he would lose the crease altogether. He was overworked way too early in the season, and it showed later on. Posch finished with a 15–8–5–2 record with a .891 save percentage.

Familiarity in Chrona

Many Colorado hockey fans already know who Magnus Chrona is. He spent four seasons with the University of Denver and was part of the 2021–22 National Championship team. Since then, Chrona spent a year in the San Jose Sharks organization and two years in the Nashville organization. Last season he posted a 9–11–3–1 record with a .894 save percentage and 2.94 GAA. If Chrona reports to the organization, he will probably report to the newly established New Mexico Goatheads of the ECHL. As of right now, Chrona’s contract with Nashville was set to expire on July 1st. He has already signed a two-year contract with Brynäs IF of the SHL.

This was mostly a salary dump for the Avalanche. Colton was taking up four million in the cap and the Avs probably did not want to deal with the RFA status of Posch next summer either. With the picks coming Colorado’s way this was a win for everyone, Colorado will still have options in the crease and they got some picks back.