The Pittsburgh Penguins have made the first major trade ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
The NHL trade freeze was lifted on Monday, and the Penguins made an intriguing defenseman swap. Pittsburgh announced the team has acquired defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche for Brett Kulak.
Girard is in the sixth year of his seven-year, $35 million deal and is a solid NHL defenseman. The 27-year-old was a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators but has been with the Avalanche since 2017.
With the Avalanche this season, the defenseman has skated in 40 games, recording three goals and nine assists for 12 points. Girard won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.
In return, Pittsburgh dealt Kulak, who the team acquired earlier this season from the Edmonton Oilers in the Stuart Skinner-Tristan Jarry trade. Kulak is in the final year of his four-year, $11 million deal. With the Penguins this season, Kulak has recorded one goal and six assists for seven points in 25 games, while in total, he has one goal and eight assists for nine points in 56 games.
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The Penguins return from the Olympic break on Thursday at home against the New Jersey Devils. Pittsburgh is 29-15-12 and holding onto the second spot in the Metro division.
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