Nashville’s First Move After Poaching Colorado’s GM? Swapping Draft Picks for Ross Colton

The Nashville Predators didn’t just hire Chris MacFarland away from the Colorado Avalanche — they waited all of 48 hours before putting his fingerprints on the roster. And the first trade of his tenure as GM looks like a deal designed to add sandpaper to the bottom six while cashing in on a goalie prospect the front office clearly doesn’t value the same way the Avalanche do.

The Deal That Went Down

Here’s the full breakdown: Nashville sends goalie prospect Magnus Chrona and two third-round picks — one in 2026 and one in 2027 — to Colorado. In return, the Predators get forward Ross Colton and goalie prospect Isak Posch. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who reported the trade first, the 2027 third-round pick was originally Colorado’s before they sent it to Nashville in a previous transaction.

This isn’t a blockbuster. But it’s the kind of high-floor, low-risk move that tells you something about MacFarland’s philosophy. Colton is a proven depth scorer who can play in any role. He’s not going to make the highlight reel every night, but he’s the type of player coaches trust on the ice with a one-goal lead in the third period.

What Colton Brings to Nashville

Colton spent three seasons with Tampa Bay, winning a Stanley Cup in 2021, before the Lightning shipped him to Colorado. He logged three years in the Avalanche system and now arrives in Nashville with one season left on his contract at a $4 million cap hit. That’s not cheap for a third-line forward, but it’s market rate for what he does — 20-goal pace, physicality, and playoff experience.

The Predators have been trying to rebuild on the fly without officially calling it a rebuild. Colton fits that mold: he’s 28 years old, he knows how to win, and he’s not going to be a long-term cap burden. If it doesn’t work? He’s an unrestricted free agent after next season. If it clicks? He could be flipped at the deadline for more assets.

The Goalie Side of the Swap

The fun part of this trade might actually be in net. Magnus Chrona was a fifth-round pick in 2020 who never truly cracked Nashville’s goaltending depth chart as a high-end prospect. Isak Posch, meanwhile, is a 22-year-old Swedish goalie the Avalanche took in the fourth round in 2023. Neither is a sure thing, but Nashville clearly sees more upside in Posch than they did in Chrona. Fans online noted that Nashville’s goalie pipeline — led by Yaroslav Askarov — is deep enough that dealing from it for a roster player makes sense.

The team hasn’t confirmed any further moves are coming, but the early consensus from league insiders is that MacFarland isn’t done yet. This is just the first domino in what could be an active summer for a franchise that wants to stay competitive without bottoming out.