In the blink of an eye last October, Ross Colton went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.

“It sucked, honestly,” Colton told The Denver Gazette.

What “sucked” was Colton breaking his foot after blocking a shot in the second period of a game on Oct. 28, 2024, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was just doing his job, putting his body in front of a point shot like most forwards would do in that situation. That shot derailed his entire season.

In the two weeks prior, Colton was the hottest goal scorer in the NHL, potting eight goals in eight games while taking advantage of an opportunity to play with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen due to all the injuries the Avalanche were dealing with. He was flying high, showing that he could play and produce at a high level with two of the best players in the world.

And then it was gone.

“I (had) all the confidence in the world. I was scoring, playing first line, first power play. I was just given the opportunity but I tried to make the most of it and roll with it, and then I break my foot,” Colton said. “I’m out, I think it was six weeks. You come back and you’re a little out of shape. I’m back to playing 10-12 minutes, something like that where it’s hard to produce at that level, or even produce at all. Takes a little bit to get back into the rhythm of it.”

A rhythm he never really got back into.

Colton finished the season with eight goals in his final 52 games, including a 34-game stretch from January to April where he scored in just one game. Then, to make matters worse, more injuries popped up. He missed games at the end of the regular season due to an upper-body injury. Then one period into a series against Dallas, Colton suffered a groin injury that ended his postseason.

“I was a little frustrated with how the season ended last year,” Colton said.

Jared Bednar’s comments prior to the start of this season made it sound like Colton wasn’t afraid to voice that frustration after the season ended.

“I think having gone through the highs and lows of last season will help him with that experience,” Bednar said back in September. “He has some thoughts on it, (and) I have some thoughts on it that we’ve shared.”

“I think it was just a matter of how the season went, being hurt here and there and then coming back,” Colton said on those talks.

With a new season and a clean slate, Colton is using that frustration as motivation. Among all Avalanche forwards, Colton is scoring at the highest points-per-60 rate at even strength of anyone not on Nathan MacKinnon’s line. He leads the team in shot-attempts-per-60 and has the best 5-on-5 possession numbers on the team. On a team with a lot of guys playing at their best, those numbers do stand out.

Is this the best and most consistent Colton has played in an Avalanche uniform?

“I’m going to say yes,” Bednar said this week, while noting Colton’s hot start to last season. “He’s been putting in the work. We’ve been meeting periodically, briefly, on things that I want to make sure that he’s doing on the defensive side of things and he’s really bought into that. He’s become a better defensive player than he was last year and the year before. And, also, chipping in (offensively) and playing to his identity. … He’s getting rewarded with some of that hard work with getting on the scoresheet on a nightly basis.”

Tuesday night against the Canucks was also proof he’ll be rewarded if he continues to play this way. With Valeri Nichushkin returning to the lineup, many assumed Nichushkin would replace Colton on the second line. That was not the case. Colton stayed on that line and made a key play, chipping the puck out of the zone prior to Brock Nelson’s game-winning goal in the second period.

“I thought they were great again,” Bednar said after the win over Vancouver. “That’s why I didn’t put Val on it because they’ve been really good in the recent past.”

It hasn’t mattered what line Colton has been played on. His game has been consistent from the start of training camp back in September to today.

That rhythm he was looking for at the end of last season? He’s found it.

“From day one of camp, I felt really good. I had a really good offseason,” Colton said. “I feel like the coaching staff is trusting me a lot more this year, playing in different positions, playing on different lines. (It’s) just up to me to go out there and bring that energy and play the same way every night”

What I’m hearing

• On his weekly show on Altitude Radio, Jared Bednar said Gavin Brindley has joined the Avalanche on this road trip as he’s a little ahead of schedule. There’s a chance he’ll play towards the end of the trip. What’s concerning is no real update on Logan O’Connor, who had other soft tissue issues pop up as he got close to returning from offseason hip surgery.
• Is the Avalanche power play tough to watch? It sure is, but Dave Hakstol wasn’t brought in to just be the power-play guy. He’s a detail-oriented coach who stresses defense. The Avalanche just so happen to be the best defensive team in the NHL right now. It’s fair to say he’s helped in that area of the game. “He’s had a huge impact, no question,” Bednar said of Hakstol.

What I’m seeing

• Sam Girard is coming off his two best games of the season against the Canadiens and Canucks where he was moving a lot better than he had been at any other point this season. When he’s moving well, he’s a difference maker in the transition game.
• Jack Drury has only two points in his last 11 games and none in his last five. He’s a fantastic penalty killer and face-off guy, but it does feel like adding another bottom-six center is going to be a priority for this team.

What I’m thinking

• I am not entirely convinced Minnesota’s hot streak is sustainable. But as things stand right now the three best teams in the West are in the Central Division, which means two of the three have to face each other in the first round. The NHL must figure out a better system for the postseason.
• Just can’t shake the feeling that Pete DeBoer is going to end up back in the Western Conference again with one of these teams that’s under performing. If the struggling Utah Mammoth wants to make a splash, that would be a qualify.