The Colorado Avalanche have acquired defenseman Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Samuel Girard and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. The deal, announced following the Olympic break, bolsters Colorado's defensive depth as the trade deadline approaches on March 6. Pittsburgh gains a younger blueliner with playoff experience in return.
The trade between the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins was completed shortly after the NHL's Olympic pause ended, with both teams looking to adjust their rosters ahead of the March 6 deadline. Pittsburgh sent 32-year-old left-shooting defenseman Brett Kulak to Colorado, receiving 27-year-old Samuel Girard and a second-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft in return.
Kulak has appeared in 56 games this season, recording one goal and eight assists. He began the year with the Edmonton Oilers before moving to Pittsburgh earlier in a goaltender swap involving Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry. Kulak carries a cap hit of $2.75 million and will become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. Over 12 NHL seasons, he has played 636 regular-season games, accumulating 29 goals and 134 points.
Heading the other way, Girard has suited up for 40 games with Colorado this season, averaging 17.41 minutes of ice time per contest while contributing three goals and nine assists. The Quebec native has spent the past nine seasons in the Avalanche organization, debuting in the NHL with the Nashville Predators in 2017-18. He was part of Colorado's 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team. Girard is in the sixth year of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million, set to expire after the 2026-27 season. In his career, he has tallied 37 goals and 235 points in 588 NHL games.
This move comes amid a quiet start to the post-Olympic trade period, with only a few deals reported so far. Colorado, featuring captain Gabriel Landeskog, aims to strengthen its back end, while Pittsburgh, home to Erik Karlsson, adds a proven defender with term remaining on his deal.