The Colorado Avalanche continue making NHL trades this season. The club added another crucial depth piece to its blueline after bringing in Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Avalanche added on Wednesday night blueliner Nick Blankenburg from Central Division rivals the Nashville Predators.
Colorado sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Preds in exchange.
We have acquired defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 5, 2026
Welcome to Colorado, Nick! 🏔️ pic.twitter.com/uB47UPH9Ma
Blankenburg is in the second year of a two-year deal worth the league minimum of $775K. At this point, the 27-year-old’s cap hit is pretty much negligible for the Avalanche. He’ll have about $250K left on it, so it would be hardly difficult for the Colorado to fit it under the cap.
Meanwhile, the Avs get a right-shot defenseman with some solid offensive upside. In 49 games this season, the Michigan native has six goals and 21 points. That’s not bad considering he’s a bottom-pairing blueliner.
He’s likely going to play a seventh defenseman role for the Avalanche. Although, it’s worth pointing out that as a right-shot, he could slide in with Sam Malinski on the third pairing. Otherwise, he could be a solid option with Brett Kulak.
One of the things that I’ve pointed out this season is that Brent Burns might need a little time off down the stretch. Similarly, the club might want to give Devon Toews and Cale Makar a little breather.
That’s why having someone solid like Blankenburg makes sense.
Avalanche avoid paying a huge price
The Predators have been shrewd in their dealings at this year’s trade deadline. The Preds cleaned up in the deals with the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights. In those deals, Nashville sent two depth forwards.
In the deal with the Wild, the club got a second-round pick for Michael McCarron. In the trade with the Golden Knights, the Preds got a second and a fourth for Cole Smith.
That’s why it’s surprising to see that the Avalanche didn’t pay more for Blankenburg. Given the going rate for depth players this season, it’s good to see the Avalanche playing some hardball.
The prevailing chatter posited that the Preds wanted to shed all of their impending UFAs regardless of their position in the Western Conference playoff race. While Nashville believes they still have a chance to make the playoffs, they will still try to recoup as much value as they can for their UFAs.
The good news is that effort won’t come at the Avalanche’s expense. This deal is a great depth move. Avs fans should see plenty of Blankenburg down the stretch as he’ll likely spell some of the regular blueliners heading down the stretch.