Colorado Avalanche
· 2026-06-27
The Colorado Avalanche have signed defensemen Brent Burns and Brett Kulak to contracts, announced Joe Sakic, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager.
The Avalanche signed Burns and Kulak to bring back their defensive core, which was a key factor in their success last season.
Burns had 35 points in 82 games for Colorado this season and four assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The signings are important for the Avalanche, who are looking to build on their success from last season, where they finished 1st in the Western Conference with a 55-16 record.
The team is currently on a W3 streak, but lost their last game 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on May 27, 2026.
The Avalanche will look to integrate Burns and Kulak into their lineup, with Burns bringing his leadership and experience to the team.
Kulak had 12 points in 83 regular-season games for the Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers this season.
The 41-year-old Burns has 945 points in 1,579 regular-season games during his 22-season career.
The 32-year-old Kulak has 137 points in 663 regular-season games during his career.
And with these signings, the Avalanche are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs.
But the team will need to bounce back from their recent loss to the Golden Knights.
So the Avalanche will look to Burns and Kulak to provide a spark on the ice.
Burns won the Norris Trophy in 2016-17 as the best defenseman in the NHL.
Kulak was traded from Edmonton to Pittsburgh on December 12 and then traded to Colorado on February 24.
The Avalanche are looking to build on their success from last season, and the signings of Burns and Kulak are a key part of that effort.