According to Elliotte Friedman, defenseman Brett Kulak is being traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Colorado Avalanche. A pending UFA who joined the Penguins from the Edmonton Oilers, it was believe Pittsburgh might flip the speedy d-man with playoff experience to a contender. The Penguins are getting Sam Girard and a 2nd-round pick back in the deal.
Hearing Brett Kulak is being traded to Colorado
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 24, 2026
The Penguins got goaltender Stuart Skinner, Kulak, and a 2029 2nd-round pick in a deal that saw Tristan Jarry go to Edmonton. Kulak had been a steady depth piece for Edmonton during their multiple Cup Final runs. He was someone they didn’t want to move, but had to for cap reasons and to make the trade work financially.
Brett Kulak Oilers defenseman
Kulak, 32, is a pending UFA after this season with a $2.75MM cap hit through 2025-26. Colorado has been strong this year and is a definite buyer at the March 6 deadline. They’ve been the Cup favorites for most of this season, and Kulak will slot in as a reliable third-pairing or injury fill-in option, with familiarity in the West.
While the Islanders and Blues made a smaller trade earlier in the day, this is one of the first notable post-Olympic break deals. The market is likely heating up.
Next: Carlo-Like Trade Ask Should Make Bruins, Oilers Think Twice
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