Avalanche Lock In Two Defensemen Before Free Agency Opens

The Colorado Avalanche are making sure their blue line doesn’t get picked apart this summer. They’ve signed defensemen Brent Burns and Brett Kulak to contract extensions, keeping both off the open market when free agency begins July 1.

Burns Betting on Himself

Brent Burns, the 40-year-old veteran, inked a one-year deal with a base salary of $850,000. But the real money is in the incentives. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Burns can earn just over $2 million more in performance bonuses. That’s a low-risk, high-reward structure for a team that already knows what he brings.

Burns isn’t the guy he was a decade ago, but he’s still effective. He logged heavy minutes for Colorado last season and has a way of showing up in big moments. The one-year deal gives the Avalanche flexibility while letting Burns chase another Cup run before he hangs ’em up.

Kulak Gets a Longer Look

Brett Kulak, 31, got the bigger commitment: a five-year extension. He’s been a steady presence on the backend, not flashy but reliable. The kind of defenseman coaches trust in tight games. Locking him up for five years suggests Colorado sees him as part of the core going forward, not just a rental.

Chris Johnston of The Athletic broke the news on X, noting both players could have walked on July 1. Instead, the Avalanche front office acted early, avoiding a bidding war for two guys who played key roles in their run to the Western Conference Finals.

What It Means for Colorado

The Avalanche came up short against the Vegas Golden Knights in the conference final. They looked good at times, but Vegas just had more depth. Bringing back Burns and Kulak doesn’t solve every problem, but it does lock in two experienced defensemen who know the system. That’s a start.

Colorado still has some tough decisions ahead. Salary cap math gets messy when you’ve got stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar taking up big chunks of space. But these extensions signal that the front office wants to keep the window open as long as possible. More moves are likely coming, but for now, the Avalanche have two fewer holes to fill.