The Colorado Avalanche have a new member of their blueline, veteran Brett Kulak. The 32-year-old will be joining his third team this season. Kulak became a Colorado Avalanche in a trade on Tuesday that sent Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Kulak started the season with the Edmonton Oilers. As he entered the final year of his current four-year contract, the speculation in Edmonton had revolved around the Oilers trading him to clear cap space.
That’s exactly what happened when the Oilers sent Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry. Jarry had a much higher cap hit than Skinner. So, the Oilers needed to make room for Jarry’s contract, sending Kulak to the Pens.
Immediately, the speculation focused on Kulak becoming a trade chip for the seemingly rebuilding Penguins. It’s worth pointing out that the Penguins aren’t really rebuilding. They are trying to capture a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That’s why it makes sense for them to dump Kulak, an impending UFA, and get a puck-moving defenseman in Samuel Girard. The Pens could use another such defenseman to complement Erik Karlsson.
Plus, Colorado’s 2028 second-rounder was the cost of servicing Girard’s contract. Since the Avalanche cleared cap space by jettisoning Girard, the Penguins made sure to cash in.
As for Kulak, the Avalanche get a much-needed physical, defensive defenseman. Kulak is a left-shot, standing 6’2” and 192 pounds. He won’t score, but he’s the sort of guy who won’t make any foolish moves in his own end. He’s registered one goal and nine points in 56 games with the Oilers and Penguins this season.
Kulak plays tough 5-on-5 minutes and is a solid penalty killer. He’ll likely log big minutes on the PK, while also seeing some of the tougher matchups for Colorado moving forward.
The former fourth-round pick from the 2012 NHL Draft has a ton of playoff experience. He was a major part of the Edmonton Oilers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs in 2024 and 2025. So, it seems he’ll fit in just fine in Colorado.
How Kulak fits into Avalanche lineup
Kulak will be expected to skate on the bottom pairing with Sam Malinski. Since Malinski can play both sides, it makes sense to move the 27-year-old to the right side.
Meanwhile, Kulak balances that pairing. The Avalanche get a tough-checking blueliner to play with the more mobile, undersized Malinski.
That move leaves Josh Manson and Brent Burns on the middle pairing. The top pairing, of course, is the elite Devon Toews-Cale Makar duo.
While some may point out that the Avalanche lack a true shutdown pairing, having Burns and his still-elite shot play with Manson creates much more balance.
It’s worth noting that coach Jared Bednar may resort to pairing Kulak and Manson in specific matchups. Manson can also play both sides. So, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see a Manson-Kulak shutdown pairing at certain points in the game.
For now, the likeliest spot for Kulak will be that bottom pairing. He’ll be looking at about 15 minutes a night as he works his way into the lineup. Avalanche fans shouldn’t be surprised to see the veteran blueliner earn Bednar’s trust seemingly off the bat.
The Avalanche may still be looking to add one more rugged depth defenseman to take over the seventh spot in the lineup. That trade, nevertheless, may come closer to the March 6 NHL trade deadline.