Avalanche swap Girard for Kulak, bank cap space for a potential deadline splash
Colorado trades defenseman Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh for Brett Kulak and a 2028 second-round pick, freeing about $2.25 million in cap space and landing a bigger, playoff-tested blueliner. Kulak should fit as a solid No. 4/5 and pair well with emerging talent Sam Malinski, while Girard provides youth for the Penguins along with added draft value. The cap space could enable a bigger deadline move, though the deal is viewed as a cap-dump with pricey potential unless it pays off with a major acquisition for Colorado.
