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The Colorado Avalanche faced another significant injury setback on Wednesday, adding to their growing list of absences, which already includes Artturi Lehkonen and Miles Wood, both on Injured Reserve.
The Avalanche announced that Ross Colton will be sidelined for six to eight weeks after suffering a broken foot; he'll be placed on Injured Reserve. The injury occurred earlier in the week during Colorado's 5-2 loss at Ball Arena to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks; he blocked a shot during the second period and didn't return.
The setback is particularly frustrating for Avalanche fans, considering Colton leads the team in scoring with eight goals in 10 games while playing on their top line alongside star forwards Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon.
Needless to say, it will be a significant loss according to Rantanen per NHL.com.
“It's not ideal, I would say. It's part of hockey, obviously, the injuries,” Rantanen said. “You can't do really anything about it other than just focus on your own job, and whoever you play with, you try to get on the same page as quickly as you can and try to play a solid hockey game again as a line, and defensively and offensively, try to create and be good.”
The Avalanche will have to make do without him; they are in action on Wednesday night against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.
Avalanche forward Ross Colton is in his second year with the club
Colton began his NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who drafted him with the 118th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, and he helped them win the Stanley Cup in his rookie year of 2020-21 with four goals and two assists in 23 postseason games.
He also helped them reach a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final in 2022, where they lost to his future team, the Avalanche. He was traded to Colorado during the 2023 offseason, and would later sign a four-year, $16 million contract.
In 280 career NHL games, Colton has scored 72 goals with 60 assists.
