The Penguins acquired left-shot blue-liner Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak, both teams announced Tuesday.
Girard has been in the rumor mill for what seems like years. Colorado hoped to make him a future top-four anchor behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews – he actually predates both of them and was the Avs’ longest-tenured defenseman – when they acquired him from the Predators in 2017. After the puck-mover impressed and sniffed 20 minutes per game of ice time in his first full season in Colorado, the Avs inked him to a seven-year, $35MM extension.
Some warned the commitment was premature. Now, in the penultimate season of the contract, they’d be right, at least based on his recent play. Girard’s performance back in the pandemic-shortened 2021 campaign made it look like he’d be the final piece of a true three-headed monster behind Makar and Toews, rattling off 32 points and a +15 rating in 58 games. His trajectory has been largely downhill from there. His minutes were steadily reduced from the 23-plus minutes he logged that year, his playoff performances were negligible, and he never churned out the same level of two-way play. He’s topped 30 points just once since then and has had negative relative Corsi impacts three times in the last five seasons at 5-on-5.
Still, Girard remained Colorado’s clear-cut No. 2 left-shot option behind Toews, especially after the Avs jettisoned Bowen Byram at the 2024 trade deadline. Then came this season. Girard sustained an upper-body injury in Colorado’s second game of the season that left him on the shelf for a month. During that time, veteran righty Brent Burns got the bump up to second-pairing minutes with Josh Manson moving to his offside in lieu of Girard. That duo, with over 2,200 combined games of NHL experience, has put up fantastic results – even posting better possession numbers than Makar and Toews have with a 56.8 xGF%, per MoneyPuck.
That pushed Girard down to a third-pairing role along with Sam Malinski, averaging only 17:41 of ice time per game. Even there, Malinski’s 25-point, +30 breakout through 55 games had rendered Girard as something of an expensive depth redundancy, especially with Malinski now extended through 2029-30 and Girard costing $5MM against the cap.
That cap impact, in a season where the Avs are the top Cup favorites by a significant margin, is why general manager Chris McFarland was willing to offload a second-round pick to get out of the last year and a half of his deal – especially if they’re receiving a much cheaper third-pairing option in Kulak in return, who’s having a strong season. Swapping out Girard for the pending UFA Kulak, who costs only $2.75MM, now leaves the Avs with a projected $10.82MM in cap space on deadline day, per PuckPedia. They’ve also given themselves $13MM even in cap space for next season, up from just $8MM to fill seven spots before the deal.
Kulak’s time in Pittsburgh ends after 25 games. It’s his second time being traded this season, having been acquired from the Oilers in December as part of the Tristan Jarry/Stuart Skinner swap. During that time, he’d gotten a bump in minutes alongside Kris Letang in top-four deployment and showed he was up to the task. He’s having a tough season offensively, even by his limited standards as a shutdown bottom-four piece, but managed seven points with a +2 rating while playing almost exclusively with Letang. That duo controlled 52.2% of expected goals as well, per MoneyPuck.
Given how both players grade out this season, it’s likely a lateral move at worst for both clubs. It’s a bit more of a long-term focused move for the Pens, though. They have little to no long-term security in their top four. Parker Wotherspoon has impressed this season, elevated as a top-pairing shutdown partner for Erik Karlsson, although he’s been a career third-pairing option and, at age 28, the prospects for regression next season are bright. Ryan Shea is, like Kulak, a pending UFA. Their veteran depth options are uninspiring, and it’s questionable if 2022 first-rounder Owen Pickering will be ready to log NHL minutes next season.
They now have a year and change of a 27-year-old Girard, plus the ability to discuss an extension with him starting July 1. He immediately becomes their most offensively dynamic threat on the left side and becomes the youngest name in Pittsburgh’s aging top-four group. They’re banking on Girard, who has 12 points in 40 outings this season, to return to his 30-plus point form back in expanded minutes, but considering he’s averaged over 20 minutes per game for his career, it’ll be a familiar situation for him.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the trade.
Image courtesy of Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.
The Fugitive.
@Four4fore – Girard (Gerard) was a police Lieutenant chasing the falsely-accused and convicted Dr. Richard Kimble. But, we get the idea. Sammy Spin-O-Rama should be treated as a fugitive, running away from the “Play Responsible D” Police. More importantly, we might have to give GMKD a rinkside sobriety test for this move. Unless, of course, he was overloaded with a truckload of pucks and dirt and needed some space in the PPG warehouse for stuff.
Seems like a tidy bit of business as Penguins fan. Dubas is hauling in the picks. Hopefully the picks he keeps are hits.
I would say a bigger move coming from the Avs.
Malinski Isn’t a fellow lefty he shoots right.
Fixed
Wow that’s ….terrible.
While Sammy G wasn’t a favorite I don’t think I would have traded him straight up for Kulak. Great work for Pittsburg turning a 4th round pick into a second pair defenseman and a second round pick.
Honestly Sammy G probably needed a change of scenery to get back to the form he showed prior to his stay on the player assistance program. It’s hard to defeat the dragon of addiction with the same routine for the same team in the same place. He’ll be a good 2nd pair offensive defenseman with the change.
Can someone please tell me that Kulak is more than a good 5th defender just to make this hurt less.
I think he’s just gonna be a cap dump for the next move. They package kulak retained to another team since he wasn’t retained here. Then use the 2nd in a much larger package to get whatever it is Colorado thinks they need at the deadline
Oh jeeze I’m a dummy
I don’t mind Kulak as a bottom pairing /7D. So I think they will keep him but they still have a 2nd pair LHD hole. I hope they fill that with an off the board stud because don’t see much out there…I’m not hopeful.
The Avs gave the 2nd to dump Girard!!!!
Kulak is the 3rd pairing D they likely KEEP!
Honestly he is, he was the only defensmen that played well with Letang, he covered most of his mistakes, but the extra 2nd ehh , I would of traded him straight up
I am another who thinks Kulak is under-valued. He’s a great skater and plays a smart two-way game. He’s not like a superstar waiting to be unlocked but I think can definitely be a good role player in Colorado and help control possession. I didn’t see him in any penguins games but the main concern I’d have is some defensive liability, but I think being able to move Girard’s money out and recoup him ultimately improves Colorado’s picture, though perhaps not dramatically. I also think it’s a good move by Dubas. I’ve enjoyed watching his work in Pitt. It wasn’t long ago many people were calling him Kyle “dumbass,” but I haven’t seen or heard that in a while lol and seemingly with good reason.
The good reason is that the Leaf fans who were calling him that are looking (way) up at Dubas in the standings.
It’s like Kyle figured out his past failures of building a blue line and is figured out a way to build out pits while simultaneously retooling the team while building their pic and prospect cupboard instead of striping it
The avs shed cap space on an overpaid defender who was pushed down the lineup, a cap dump to increase deadline cap space
Stay Tuned for the playoffs !
You are right on Rick !
There is most certainly another shoe to drop from Colorado here
Ya this move screams cap related move for something bigger
Kadri or Kane ?
I’ve been banging the table for a girard trade for years, but it didnt think you’d have to pair a second with him just for kulak
COL waited too long, and had to move Girard’s awful $5mill cap hit at the trough of his value, so the 2nd-rounder was necessary for the Pens to take on that albatross.
Colorado’s GM Chris McFarland really put the thread through the needle with this deal in opening themselves to $10.82MM for the deadline. In addition, expanding their cap space this summer from $8MM to $13MM. Talk about a financial reconstruction domino effect, in putting yourself in a more flexible position moving forward on 2 counts. That’s a managerial win.
Interesting move. Initial take was down for Avs but that is anchoring on historic view of Girard rather than current. Could even argue it might be a slight uptick in current performance and obviously saves a decent bit of cap space. Pens can obviously afford a couple mil more in short term and maybe Girard can regain a step in a new setting (plus pick obv). Not a bad deal on either side IMO
Great trade for Pittsburgh. As others have said this is obviously setting Colorado up for a bigger move, so assuming they get something done it’s understandable they’d give up an asset to clear that money.
The 2nd round pick is 2028. Yes, it’s a bit high but COL had to sweeten the pot to offload Sammy G’s contract! And the 2nd rd pick doesn’t sting quite as bad being a 2028! There’s plenty of time to recoup that in some way! So all in all this is a pretty lateral move for both. PIT will hope Sammy G finds his old form, and can afford to do so. COL clears space for the deadline and for next season! Pretty good move for both. And I will be rooting for Sammy G!!! Always an Avalanche!!!
Love it.
There is a way to create assets by churning the middle of the roster.
All of our LHD are/were plugger types, so getting a more mobile guy in Girard is worthwhile on it’s own, but getting a 2nd is nice.
I would still shop Shea (unless he’s willing to sign a very below market deal for some reason) if his bargain AAV can compel an overpay.
Real question for Dubas right now is what to do with Mantha.
I know that he could fetch a nice return and that we have a bit of a roster crunch coming with Hallander getting healthy, but he’s been too good.
Instead of adding anything, we should stay (relatively) quiet and keep Mantha as a self rental…unless someone wants to nuts and offer a first or something.
Good take. Mantha has been fun to watch. I like the way Pittsburg is using him and he seems to be thriving in that environment. Not sure if he has another level he can get to, but he’s definitely helping them get points, much more than making it more difficult.
The problem for us with Mantha is extending him doesn’t make sense with our window so it’s either trade him or lose him for nothing.
So, I bet Dubas is more eager to move him than I am, but this team has earned addition not subtraction.
The perfect compromise, given that our success this year has been built on chemistry and proper slotting, is to stand pat (though I’d still listen on Shea).
Girard is a flashier younger skater then kulak with 12 points in 40 games also a +12, kulak more of a stay at home d with 9 points in 56 games -5. I think Pens Win this with the asset back
Kulak if Used correctly is Useful. Saw many Oilers games. He was often better then Nurse , Bouchard or Walman
Tristian Jarry with 0% retained was essentially traded for 2 2nd rounders, Stuart Skinner, and Samuel Girard
To make the best of it, Jarry was on waivers around 12 months ago.
Today, Colorado’s defense got a little slower, And a lot weaker, I don’t have any doubt that Colorado is not done moving, And shaking, But, Their secondary scoring is soft, And their goaltending is darn good in the regular season, But, really soft when it matters.
Kulak is a defensive Defenseman, team structure couldve been the reason behind his decline this season, Pittsburghs defense isn’t great, and Edmontons defense isn’t great and got weaker this year than the previous couple seasons. his numbers will pretty much guaranteed improve in Colorado
Don’t forget, the 170lb Girard is often injured.
A Burns-Manson-Kulak defense with the possibility of Evander Kane up front will test anyone in the playoffs !