On June 16, 2026, the Nashville Predators acquired forward Ross Colton and goaltender Isak Posch from the Colorado Avalanche in a deal that sent two third‑round draft picks and goalie Magnus Chrona to Colorado.
The Predators gave up their own third‑round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Colorado’s third‑round pick in 2027, and Magnus Chrona to complete the trade. Colton, 29, arrives with six NHL seasons, 89 career goals and 75 career Stanley Cup Playoff games on his résumé. In 2025‑26 he recorded 24 points — nine goals and 15 assists — in 73 games, posted a plus‑9 rating, fired 153 shots and registered 159 hits, third on the Avalanche.
Isak Posch joins Nashville after spending parts of the past two seasons with the Colorado Eagles. In 2025‑26 Posch went 15‑8‑4 with two shutouts, a 2.78 goals‑against average and an.891 save percentage, and he was named to the 2026 AHL All‑Star Classic for the Pacific Division. Posch is from Umea, Sweden.
Predators general manager Chris MacFarland framed the additions as immediate upgrades. "We are very excited to add Ross Colton to our forward mix," he said. "Ross is a versatile, two‑way winger who will add sandpaper and grit into our middle six group." About the goalie, MacFarland added: "Isak Posch is a talented young netminder who was selected to play in the AHL All‑Star game this past year," and, "He is a big goaltender who will add to our already impressive goalie depth."
Context for the move is straightforward: Colton brings playoff experience and a history of clutch moments — he scored the game‑winning goal in his NHL debut on Feb. 24, 2021, and was a member of Tampa Bay’s 2020‑21 Stanley Cup squad — while Posch offers organizational goaltending depth after a strong AHL season. Colton also reached a career‑high 40 points in 2023‑24, underscoring his capacity to chip in offensively as well as physically.
The trade contains a notable friction point in how the two clubs framed it. Nashville’s public message emphasizes Colton’s role as middle‑six grit and a two‑way option; Colorado’s own announcement presented the move simply as a trade out of the Avalanche roster. That difference in tone leaves room for interpretation about whether Nashville sees Colton primarily as a physical, checking presence or as a multi‑purpose winger who can supply secondary scoring and playoff know‑how.
Practically, Nashville has added a 29‑year‑old forward with a six‑season track record of scoring and a netminder with AHL success. Colorado, meanwhile, secures a pair of third‑round draft selections and a professional goaltender in Chrona. How those assets translate into on‑ice results will depend on how quickly the Predators integrate Colton into their forward group and whether Posch develops into an NHL option behind Nashville’s established goalies.
The single concrete gap left by the transaction is timing: the team has not announced when Colton or Posch will make their Predators debuts. That unanswered detail is consequential — inserting a veteran middle‑six player and a new goalie option affect roster construction and playing time immediately — but Nashville has not published a timetable. The most important question now is which role the Predators choose for Colton and how soon they will give Posch a path onto the NHL roster.
