Colorado Avalanche Trade Longtime Defenseman Samuel Girard To Acquire Brett Kulak From Pittsburgh Penguins

It has been barely two days since the Olympic trade freeze was lifted, and teams are already making some big moves. The Colorado Avalanche is one of those teams, having acquired D-man Brett Kulak from the Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a second-round draft pick.With this, the blueliner’s nine-season tenure in Colorado also comes to an end. Kulak brings some much-needed playoff depth to the Avs' back line while also clearing $2.25 million in cap space with the swap. With this, the franchise hopes to make it count for the home stretch.

Samuel Girard's Colorado Career Comes to an End After Nine Seasons

Girard departs as a Stanley Cup champion from the 2022 championship team. The 27-year-old puck-moving defenseman recorded three goals and 12 assists in 40 games this season while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time throughout his Colorado tenure.With a $5 million cap hit through next season, compared to Kulak's $2.75 million deal, swapping Girard was a smart move by Colorado Management. Kulak’s contract expires after this year, giving the Avalanche financial flexibility heading into the trade deadline and offseason.The Penguins acquire a smooth-skating defender who upgrades their transition game and provides secondary power play options. Girard's name circulated in trade rumors for more than a year as Colorado looked to clear salary cap room.

The former Edmonton defenseman also brings with him the grit that it takes to reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. He already logged 23 minutes per game in the last postseason with the Oilers, proving he has what it takes to deliver in the playoffs.This marks Kulak's second trade this season after Pittsburgh acquired him from Edmonton in the Tristan Jarry deal in December. He has one goal and eight assists in 56 games split between the two teams while averaging 18 minutes per contest.The trade positions Colorado to make additional moves before the March 3 deadline. The Avalanche sit at 37-9-9 through 55 games and rank among the NHL's elite teams despite losing to Dallas in the first round last season.Kulak provides defensive stability and penalty-killing ability on an expiring contract. His experience in two consecutive Finals gives Colorado a proven veteran who understands what it takes to advance deep into the playoffs.Colorado is having a dry spell in the new year so far. So, when they visit Utah on Wednesday before hosting Minnesota on Thursday at Ball Arena, they expect to change that. The final stretch is finally here with championship aspirations and increased roster flexibility following the move.