The Colorado Avalanche got the first significant trade of the post-Olympic period on the board. As initially reported here on Mile High Sticking, the club pulled the trigger on a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Leaving Colorado is Samuel Girard, while coming over is Brett Kulak. On the surface, this trade seems like a downgrade. But upon closer inspection, the deal makes perfect sense. Back on January 23, I explored how Sam Malinksi had essentially made Girard redundant.
The Avalanche found themselves with two similar defensemen, one with a higher cap hit than the other. In both Malinski and Girard, the Avalanche had mobile, if undersized blueliners. While both D-men brought speed and puck-moving capabilities, more punch and grit were needed.
But the writing was on the wall when Malinski signed a four-year extension back on January 27. That extension essentially showed the Avalanche had chosen Malinski over Girard. That choice became patent on Tuesday, with Girard heading to Pittsburgh.
There’s another dimension to the trade, however. This move is a cap dump. The Avalanche needed to clear Girard’s $5 million cap hit to bring in other pieces. In Brett Kulak, the Avs got a veteran defensive defenseman with a $2.75 million cap hit. While he’ll be a UFA this summer, that’s something Colorado isn’t going to worry about now.
PuckPedia shows that the Avalanche has about $8.8 million in cap space at the moment. However, that total includes Logan O’Connor’s cap hit, currently on LTIR. It’s also worth pointing out that some that cap space will reduce if and when the Avalanche call up someone from the AHL to take over the seventh defenseman role.
The Avs currently have 13 forwards on the active roster. So, there won’t likely be anyone else coming up unless there is a clear need for an additional forward. The goal at this point will be to avoid calling anyone up in order to maximize cap space.
Avalanche paid a hefty price for dumping Girard’s contract
Meanwhile, the Avalanche paid a hefty price for dumping Girard’s contract. The Penguins collected a 2028 second-round pick for their troubles.
That’s a nice return for Pittsburgh on top of getting a solid, offensive-minded, puck-moving defenseman. It’s worth underscoring that it should be no surprise that the Penguins traded Kulak.
The 32-year-old joined the Penguins in the Tristan Jarry-Stuart Skinner trade. It was pretty clear that the Pens were going to flip Kulak when the time came. That’s why Kulak essentially became a second-round pick for Pittsburgh.
Honestly, giving up a 2028 second-rounder is not bad at all. That pick is two years away, and if the Avalanche continue their current trajectory, that second-rounder will be more akin to a third-rounder.
The Avalanche also have numerous picks sprinkled throughout various rounds over the next two drafts. So, the club will also have some ammo for future trades or slots to utilize, hopefully replenish its prospect cupboard.
The Avalanche play on Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City. It’s not likely Kulak will be in the lineup then. So, it will be interesting to see when the veteran blueliner will make his Avalanche debut.