Former Canadiens Player Sends Avalanche Through To Third Round

Nobody will be shocked to hear that the Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Minnesota Wild last night. However, they will most probably be surprised to hear who scored the overtime goal that sent Jared Bednar’s men through. It was none other than former Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Brett Kulak.

The 32-year-old Edmonton native blueliner has had a good time in the NHL since the Canadiens traded him to the Edmonton Oilers back in the 2021-2022 season. He was signed to a four-year contract extension by his hometown team, and he also made two Stanley Cup finals playing alongside two of the best players in the world, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

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Earlier this season, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Stuart Skinner, as the Oilers sought to address their goaltending woes by acquiring Tristan Jarry. He got to play with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang for 25 games before being sent to Colorado in exchange for Samuel Girard and a second-round pick. He’s now just one round away from another Stanley Cup final.

However, the Kulak trade was a great one for the Canadiens as well. When they flipped him to the Oilers, they received William Lagesson, a seventh-round pick in 2024 and, more importantly, a second-round pick in 2022. Who did the Canadiens land with that second-round pick? None other than Lane Hutson, who has since become a franchise cornerstone for the Canadiens.

The Canadiens’ front office won’t lose any sleep about trading Kulak, second-round winning goal or not, especially since Kent Hughes did manage to ink Hutson to a team-friendly long-term deal earlier this season. The slippery offensive blueliner will be in Montreal for another eight years or until the 2033-34 season for an $8.85 million cap hit per year.

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