Brett Kulak Traded as Penguins Add Samuel Girard and a 2028 Second‑Round Pick — Immediate Impact on Both Blue Lines
The Pittsburgh move that sends Samuel Girard and a 2028 second‑round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for brett kulak reshapes who the teams can lean on defensively right away and supercharges Pittsburgh’s accumulation of draft assets. For the players involved, the trade changes opportunity windows: one is signed through 2026‑27 with term and salary certainty; the other heads to a new club while approaching unrestricted status.
Brett Kulak's move: who feels the immediate effects
This trade affects lineups, short‑term roster planning and contract leverage. Penguins coaches gain a defenseman signed through 2026‑27 who brings a low‑to‑mid pairing profile and a 2028 pick to wield in future drafts; Colorado adds a veteran defense option in Brett Kulak who must adapt quickly and, as noted in context, will need to make a major defensive impact for the Avalanche to justify the exchange. The Penguins’ organizational depth picture also shifts because the team now holds an unusually large number of upcoming draft choices.
Deal specifics and Samuel Girard's profile
The trade sends Samuel Girard and a 2028 second‑round draft pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Brett Kulak. Girard is 27 years old, signed through the 2026‑27 season with an average annual value of $5 million, and is a 2022 Stanley Cup Champion. He is in his ninth NHL season, having split his career between Colorado and the Nashville Predators.
On-ice numbers included in the context: this season Girard has three goals, nine assists and 12 points with a plus‑12 rating in 40 games; he missed most of the first month of the season. Listed at 5‑foot‑10 and 170 pounds, his career NHL totals in the provided facts are 37 goals, 198 assists and 235 points in 588 career regular‑season games, plus three goals, 25 assists and 28 points in 67 career playoff games. His best season in the provided context was 2022‑23, when he posted six goals, 31 assists and 37 points in 76 games with the Avalanche.
Draft capital and the pick haul effect
The 2028 second‑round pick included in the swap increases Pittsburgh’s count: the team now has 34 draft picks over the next four NHL drafts, which includes 20 selections in the first three rounds. In the provided facts, no team has more selections over the first three rounds in the next four drafts than Pittsburgh. That accumulation changes how the organization can trade for short‑term help or continue restocking the prospect pipeline.
Brett Kulak's season, status and recent movement
Context shows Brett Kulak as a 32‑year‑old defenseman (the context notes Girard is five years younger than a 32‑year‑old Kulak). Kulak was already traded earlier this season from the Oilers to the Penguins in the Stuart Skinner–Tristan Jarry trade. He played 25 games for the Penguins and 56 total games this season, with one goal and eight assists in those 56 games. Kulak will be out of his contract at the end of this season; his status for next season is therefore uncertain in the provided facts. Some coverage within the context used the name Brent Kulak (unclear in the provided context).
- Here’s the part that matters: Pittsburgh receives a 27‑year‑old defenseman under contract through 2026‑27 plus a 2028 second‑round pick; Colorado receives Brett Kulak, a 32‑year‑old who is expiring at season’s end.
- Penguins now hold 34 picks across the next four drafts, including 20 in the first three rounds — unmatched in the provided facts.
- Girard’s recent season totals (3 G, 9 A, +12 in 40 games) come after missing most of the first month, per the provided information.
- Kulak’s path this season included a prior trade from the Oilers and 56 games with one goal and eight assists, and he is slated to be out of contract at season’s end.
What’s easy to miss is how the contract length for Girard (through 2026‑27 at $5 million AAV in the context) provides roster certainty for Pittsburgh while Kulak’s impending free‑agent status hands Colorado flexibility — and risk — depending on his immediate impact.
Micro timeline embedded
- 2014–17: Girard played three seasons in the QMJHL with the Shawinigan Cataractes (24 goals, 168 assists, 192 points in 190 games) and earned league honors in 2015–17, including Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defenseman of the Year.
- 2016: Girard was drafted in the second round (47th overall) by the Nashville Predators (per the provided facts).
- 2022–23: Girard’s best season in the provided context, with six goals, 31 assists and 37 points in 76 games with Colorado; he is also listed as a 2022 Stanley Cup Champion.
The real question now is how quickly Brett Kulak can settle into the Avalanche lineup and whether Pittsburgh’s addition of Girard plus the 2028 pick will be enough to shift short‑term playoff positioning while also fueling longer‑term roster moves. Evaluations in the provided context suggest Pittsburgh appears to gain a second‑line defenseman and a pick while securing Girard for next season; by contrast, Kulak will be expected to make a defensive difference for Colorado the rest of the way to validate the exchange.
