NHL TRADE: Penguins & Avalanche Swing a Deal

Defenceman Brett Kulak, skating for the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche have gotten the trade season off to a rolling start on Tuesday. They've completed a swap of defensmen, which sends Brett Kulak to Colorado in exchange for Samuel Girard and a future second-round pick.

We have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2nd round pick in 2028 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/tZrCRBm3LB
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 24, 2026

Kulak was flipped by Penguins GM Kyle Dubas after just two months with the team after they acquired him in the Stuart Skinner deal in mid-December.

Girard, 27, is five years younger than Kulak, fitting the Penguins' desire to continue to add youth to the team. Girard is a high-energy, puck-moving d-man. He has one more season left on a $5 million cap hit. The Avs are essentially selling low on him, as his offense and ice time have taken a big dip this season.

Dubas is being lauded for his work.

So the Penguins basically traded Tristan Jarry’s entire salary — with no retention — for Sam Girard, Stu Skinner and two second-round picks.
Pretty incredible work.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) February 24, 2026

Girard has three goals and nine assists in 40 games, while averaging 17:41 of ice time per night. Inconsistency on the offensive end and defensive lapses have hurt Girard's standing this season, dropping him to the third pairing in Colorado, though he does still own a plus/minus rating of +12.

Kulak is a pending UFA with a cap hit of $2.75 million. The Avs are obviously priming themselves for another move, gaining $2.25 million in cap space with today's deal. They now have $8.7M in cap space.