Samuel Girard traded to Pittsburgh (for a former CH player)

The NHL trade deadline is next Friday (March 6).

But with the trade freeze now lifted, clubs are able to make moves. And today, we have a trade between the Penguins and the Avalanche.

Brett Kulak is headed to Colorado. And in return… the Pens managed to get their hands on Samuel Girard AND a second-round pick in 2028. This is likely to help both clubs:

Samuel Girard is going to the Penguins https://t.co/KTaigAzWNO

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 24, 2026

This could help both clubs, and I'll explain why.

In Colorado, Samuel Girard no longer had an important role. The Avalanche already rely on Cale Makar to generate offense, and Kulak will strengthen the club's defensive blue line.

He is capable of taking on big responsibilities on the ice. And it also allows Chris MacFarland to free up space under the salary cap to do something even bigger between now and next Friday…

But for the Penguins, getting their hands on a dynamic 27-year-old defenseman like Samuel Girard is appealing, even if he's earning $5 million per season until the summer of 2027.

He's relatively young, he can be part of the solution in Pittsburgh, and he's likely to have a fairly important role from the outset. He'll be called upon to produce offensively, and with guys like Erik Karlsson and Kristopher Letang not getting any younger, bringing in a “youngster” like Girard could help in the coming years.
I like the trade for both teams. It really seems like a win-win situation because the Penguins and the Avalanche were able to fill a certain need. Plus, Dubas had the opportunity to get his hands on a second-round pick, which can also help the team draft a good young player.

We know that the next generation of players in Pittsburgh isn't that great, after all.

Overtime

Now, the question is whether this will open the door to other trades in the NHL.

Clubs are starting to make moves… and we may see the market open up at some point.