Avalanche acquire F Ross Colton from Lightning

The Colorado Avalanche acquired forward Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a second-round pick in Wednesday night's draft.

The Lightning receive the 37th overall pick, part of the package that Colorado acquired in Tuesday's trade that sent forward Alex Newhook to the Montreal Canadiens.

Colton, 26, tallied 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 81 games with Tampa Bay in 2022-23. He has 83 points (47 goals, 36 assists) in 190 games since the Lightning selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

"Ross is a hard-working, two-way center with a championship pedigree," Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said. "He has physicality to his game, is ultra competitive and his versatility will make him a valuable addition to our lineup in a lot of ways."

Colton won the 2021 Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay, scoring the game-winning goal in the Game 5 clincher against the Canadiens.