Avalanche shake up defense, trade Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh for veteran Brett Kulak

The longest-tenured defenseman on the Colorado Avalanche roster is no longer Samuel Girard.

Just prior to flying out to Utah Thursday morning for their first game after the Olympics break, the Avalanche made a big shake-up to their defense, trading Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak. Girard arrived in Colorado in 2017 as part of the Matt Duchene blockbuster trade and had been a mainstay on the blue line ever since.

With Girard gone, the longest-tenured player on the blue line is Cale Makar.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle, left, squares off against Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The 32-year-old Kulak had a slow start to the season in Edmonton and ended up being dealt to the Penguins in December as part of a four-player deal. His season has since turned around, as he’s started to play better in new surroundings. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Kulak gives the Avalanche a far different look on their third pair, which had previously consisted of two smaller defensemen in Girard and Sam Malinski.

Kulak has nine points and 28 penalty minutes in 56 games this season. Girard had 12 points in 40 games this season with the Avalanche.

In addition to getting bigger on the back end, the Avalanche with the move also gained cap space. Kulak costs just $2.75 million under the cap this season while Girard carries a $5 million cap hit. That gives the Avalanche more flexibility to make additional moves prior to the March 7 trade deadline. The addition of the second-round pick from Colorado’s end removes one of their more valuable trade assets heading into the deadline.

“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,” general manager Chris MacFarland said in a release.

The Avalanche return to action Wednesday in Utah against the Mammoth.