The Colorado Avalanche shook up its blueline Tuesday morning, 10 days before the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

Colorado sent Samuel Girard, the longest-tenured member of the defense corps, to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak. The Avs also included a 2028 second-round pick in the deal.

“I think hopefully it’s a good trade for our team, and it’s a good trade for (Girard),” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “G’s been an unbelievable teammate, a great player for this organization. … It’s sad to see guys like that go. But I think it could be a good move for him, little bit more opportunity.

“For us, you’re getting a big, solid ‘D’ that can skate and defend real well and move the puck. He does a lot of good things, a guy that’s been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and was an integral part of (Edmonton’s) blue line and what they were trying to do as a team. We like the player a lot, and so we’re excited.”

Kulak, 32, began the season with the Edmonton Oilers but was traded to Pittsburgh in the deal that swapped starting goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry. The left-handed defenseman had no goals and two points in 31 games for the Oilers, but had a goal and seven points in the 25 contests for the Penguins.

He is an unrestricted free agent after this season. His cap hit for this season is $2.75 million. That’s $2.25 million less than Girard, who also has another year on his contract after this one.

Kulak has more than 600 games of regular-season experience plus another 98 contests in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has made the Cup Final three times — with Montreal in 2021 and Edmonton each of the past two seasons.

He was second on the Oilers in average ice time during the 2025 playoff run, logging 23:25 per game in part because Edmonton didn’t have Mattias Ekholm for 15 of the 22 contests.

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

Even if the Avs value Kulak’s size and defensive aptitude and the cap savings, it was a steep price to pay by including the second-round pick.

Girard arrived in Denver from Nashville via a blockbuster three-team trade on Nov. 5, 2017. The Avalanche sent Matt Duchene to Ottawa in the deal, which also netted a draft pick that became Bowen Byram.

It was a franchise-altering trade, and a huge part of Colorado’s eventual rise and run to the Stanley Cup in 2022. Girard played 583 regular-season games for the Avalanche, plus another 67 during the playoffs.

He has spent most of his career playing behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews, and has often been mentioned as a player who could collect more points with a bigger opportunity elsewhere. Girard has also been a beloved teammate, someone who the Avs rallied around when he entered the NHL/NHLPA Players’ Assistance Program in Nov. 2023 and returned in a much better place.

“It’s tough,” said Josh Manson, who has played with Girard since 2022 and been his defense partner on many nights before this season. “Just saying, ‘It’s a business,’ doesn’t make it any easier. You still have feelings and friendships and years of time spent together. It never gets any easier to see somebody walk out the door.

“I’m definitely going to miss him.”

Kulak will join the Avs in Salt Lake City, and Bednar said he will play Wednesday night against the Utah Mammoth in the club’s first game back from the Olympic break. Bednar also said adding Kulak gives the club more versatility with how he can deploy his defensemen in the playoffs, specifically noting that he could play Kulak with Makar in situations when he wants to split up his two Canadian Olympians for matchup purposes.

The trade opens up more cap space for Colorado. Two potential needs for the club remain adding depth on defense behind the six guys the Avs have right now, and upgrading at the No. 3 center position.

How much space the Avs have to work with is still variable. Logan O’Connor and his $2.5 million cap hit are still on long-term injured reserve, but he’s been skating again recently. Will he return before the season ends, or can the Avs use that space between now and March 6?

Also, Brent Burns’ contract is bonus-laden. He had a $1 million base salary, with $3 million more in incentives. He’s already hit the first incentive for $2 million (10 games played), but is very unlikely to collect the last $1 (70 games played while averaging 23 minutes per night).

Still, the Avs can be flexible with that extra $2 million in bonuses owed to Burns. Some, or all, of it can be delayed to count against the 2026-27 cap if Colorado needs to push closer to the ceiling during this season.

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