Avs trade Cup-winning defenseman, acquire Kulak from Penguins

The Colorado Avalanche are shaking up their blue line, trading defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for veteran defenseman Brett Kulak, the Avs announced on Tuesday.

The deal ends Girard’s nine-season tenure in Colorado — a run that included the 2022 Stanley Cup championship — and brings back a 32-year-old blueliner who has played in three Cup Finals with two different franchises.

“First of all, we would like to thank Samuel for all he has done for the Avalanche organization both on and off the ice over the last nine seasons,” general manager Chris MacFarland said in a news statement. “‘G’ is a great person and teammate and was a big part of the group that helped our turnaround back in 2017. We wish him and his family the best of luck in Pittsburgh.

“In Brett, we are acquiring a two-way defenseman who can play up and down the lineup. He logs big minutes in all situations and brings a ton of playoff experience that will help our blue line depth.”

Kulak’s postseason history is staggering. His 98 career playoff games lead all NHL defensemen since making his postseason debut in 2020 and rank second among all skaters in that span behind only Corey Perry (119). He reached the Stanley Cup Final with Montreal in 2021 and with Edmonton in each of the last two seasons.

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound defenseman owns the ninth-longest active iron-man streak in the NHL, entering the season’s restart on Wednesday with 320 consecutive games played dating back to March 24, 2022. He has posted nine points (1g/8a) over 56 games this season between the Oilers and Penguins while averaging 18:53 of ice time.

In December, Kulak was sent with Stuart Skinner and a second round pick to Pennsylvania for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin. He had spent just 25 games with the Pens and jumps right back into the West’s playoff race.

For his career, Kulak has registered 134 points in 636 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Montreal and Calgary. He set career highs in goals (7) and assists (18) with the Oilers in 2024-25.

The Edmonton native was originally drafted by the Flames in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He also has a connection to the Avs, having played for the then-ECHL Colorado Eagles during the 2014-15 season but that was before they were affiliated with the NHL team down the road.

Brett Kulak, acquired by COL, is a smooth-skating top four defensive defenceman who kills penalties. Was playing with Kris Letang and doing pretty well after a difficult start with the Oilers this season. When he's at his best he calms things down and makes safe plays. pic.twitter.com/FdYI3Nqnnr

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 24, 2026

Girard, 27, departs as one of the most accomplished defensemen in franchise history. The Quebecois totaled 232 points in 583 career games, ranking fourth among Avalanche/Nordiques defensemen in games played, fifth in assists and eighth in points. His 750 blocked shots are third-most in franchise history.

The puck-moving blueliner added 28 points across 67 career playoff games, including a three-point performance in seven appearances during Colorado’s 2022 championship run before getting hurt and missing the final rounds.

Girard’s trade also closes out the players the Avs got back in the very successful Matt Duchene trade, which will stay alive in tree form for now with Kulak being the last branch.

Kulak carries a $2.75 million cap hit and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Girard is signed through 2026-27 at $5 million per year, giving Colorado roughly an extra $2.25 million in cap flexibility ahead of next Friday’s trade deadline. Perhaps they will seek a third-line center. The Avs do not have any major free agents this coming summer but after next season, Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen are due for extensions, though Girard’s contract would’ve been off the books by then.

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