Ex-Edmonton Oilers defenceman traded for second time in three months
An ex-Edmonton Oilers defenceman has been traded for the second time in three months.
After getting traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Stuart Skinner-Tristan Jarry swap in December, Brett Kulak is once again on the move. The Penguins opted to flip the 32-year-old defender to the Colorado Avalanche in a Tuesday morning trade.
This is the fourth time that Kulak has been traded in his career, although before this season, he hadn’t swapped teams since being moved from the Montreal Canadiens to the Oilers at the 2022 NHL trade deadline.
In exchange for Kulak, the Penguins acquired defender Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Avalanche.
We have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2nd round pick in 2028 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/tZrCRBm3LB
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 24, 2026
Kulak had long been a steady presence on the Oilers’ blue line for parts of five seasons. He was known as a two-way defender who elevated his game in the playoffs. Things, however, took a bit of a downward spiral to kick off this season.
Instead of being that steady presence, Kulak’s play declined in Edmonton to the point where he was starting to become a defensive liability. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, the Oilers opted to move on from him in a trade to help solidify the goaltending.
Kulak played in 25 games with the Penguins, posting a goal and seven points in that span. However, that was not enough to convince Pittsburgh to hold onto him through the trade deadline. It will be a swap of struggling blueliners, as Girard has quickly fallen out of favour with the Avalanche.
The move means that the Oilers will see more of their former defender, as the Avalanche are set to battle with Edmonton two more times this season.