The Avalanche cleared cap space by acquiring defensive defenseman Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for D-man Samuel Girard and a second-round pick.
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
Colorado received defenseman Brett Kulak in return.
Girard, 27, has three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 40 games this season. His average ice time fell from 20:51 last season to 17:41 this year. He also missed time earlier in the season while dealing with an upper-body injury.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound defenseman from Robertval, Que., has exceeded the 30-point mark three times in nine NHL seasons, mostly with the Avalanche. He played his first five NHL games with the Nashville Predators before being traded to Colorado on Nov. 5, 2017.
"First of all, we would like to thank Samuel for all he has done for the Avalanche organization both on and off the ice over the last nine seasons," Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland said in a news release. " 'G' is a great person and teammate and was a big part of the group that helped our turnaround back in 2017. We wish him and his family the best of luck in Pittsburgh."
The Avalanche clear $2.25 million of salary cap space in the deal. Girard has a $5-million cap hit in the sixth season of a seven-year contract, while Kulak is a pending UFA with a $2.75-million cap hit.
"In Brett (Kulak), we are acquiring a two-way defenseman who can play up and down the lineup," MacFarland said. "He logs big minutes in all situations and brings a ton of playoff experience that will help our blueline depth."
Kulak, 32, has a goal and eight assists for nine points in 56 games this season. He spent parts of five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before they traded him and goaltender Stuart Skinner to the Penguins in December.
In 25 games with Pittsburgh, Kulak had a goal and seven points while averaging 20:20 of ice time.
The Avalanche now have about $8.74 million in cap space with Logan O'Connor on long-term injured reserve. And the Penguins now have six picks in the first three rounds of the 2028 draft, on top of five picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft and five in 2027.
Colorado leads the NHL standings with 83 points, while the Penguins are second in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points.
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