The Avalanche made another move on the blueline on Wednesday, acquiring depth defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.
Blankenburg, 27, is listed at 5’9, 177 lbs, and is a puck-moving blueliner who saw his game evolve in two seasons with Nashville. This year, he has six goals and 21 points in 49 games, while averaging 17:58 per game. Last season, he posted four goals and 16 points in 60 games, averaging a career-high 19:33 per game.
The right-shot defenseman gives Colorado a solid No. 7 option.
This is the third in-season trade to the blueline for Colorado. In January, general manager Chris MacFarland sent No. 7 defenseman Ilya Solovyov to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Just over a month later, the two teams got together again, and the Avs acquired Brett Kulak for Samuel Girard and a second-round draft pick.
Kulak filled the void that Girard had been playing on the third pair. But they still needed a seventh option in case of injuries. Blankenburg will likely fill that role.
Blankenburg was an undrafted free agent before signing with Columbus in 2022. The native of Washington, Mich., played four years for the Michigan Wolverines and served as a captain in his senior season. Blankenburg is a pending unrestricted free agent and makes league-minimum $775,000 against the cap.