The Lightning aren’t going to trade the player that scores the game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final just a few weeks after the celebration, right? Well, Ross Colton is not an integral part of the franchise, and they have him at the end of his restricted free agency deal. The Lightning really can’t afford to give him more than the minimum, so if he asks for anymore, he might be out the door.
Colton is a New Jersey kid who plans on bringing the Cup back to his hometown when it’s his turn to have a day with the Stanley Cup. The Cup is actually going to Robbinsville, NJ on Friday, as Colton was given the first day with the Cup. He clearly likes it in the Garden State, so why not allow him to play hockey here?
The Devils probably don’t want to move a draft pick in a deal like this, so they are forced to overpay in prospects. Jesper Boqvist is not a player the Devils should give up on, but it’s clear he is on the cusp of not working out. If the Devils can dangle him in a deal to get a guaranteed NHL player that’s still young, then it would be worthwhile. Nikita Okhotyuk seems to be repeated by other Devils’ prospects like Kevin Bahl and Daniil Misyul. Nick Merkley could be lost to the Seattle Kraken, so they could trade him just to get some value out of him.
Colton would play a similar role on the Devils as he did on the Lightning. He would get bottom-six minutes, but there is a small chance he could turn into a Blake Coleman type with the right linemates. This is a good upside deal for both sides.