Avalanche’s Kulak Contract Faces Criticism Despite On-Ice Impact

Not everyone is convinced about the Colorado Avalanche’s recent commitment to veteran defenseman Brett Kulak. Just weeks after signing him to a five-year, $22.5 million contract that carries a $4.5 million average annual value, a prominent NHL publication has already deemed the deal one of the league’s worst.

In its annual assessment of the NHL’s best and worst contracts, The Athletic ranked Kulak’s extension as the eighth least favorable, citing concerns over the 32-year-old’s declining underlying performance despite the long-term commitment. Kulak joined the Avalanche after the Olympic break, arriving via a trade that sent Samuel Girard and a second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While Kulak’s offensive numbers were never expected to be eye-catching, he quickly found a vital role on the Avalanche’s blue line. He helped stabilize the team’s top four and often played alongside Sam Malinski on the second pairing, occasionally stepping up to skate with Cale Makar on the top pair when needed.

The criticism surrounding Kulak, however, is less about his counting stats. The Athletic based its argument on Kulak’s underlying defensive metrics, particularly his relative impact on expected goals at five-on-five. They noted a consistent decline in his performance across the season, regardless of the team he was with. “His drop-off at five-on-five wasn’t exactly an isolated incident; it was consistent across three different playoff teams,” The Athletic stated. They highlighted his relative impact on expected goals (xG) as minus-0.48 in Edmonton, minus-0.14 in Pittsburgh, and a troubling minus-1.2 in Colorado, with even worse results concerning goals.

This is where I diverge from the analytics-heavy perspective. The focus on a narrow set of data overlooks other factors that suggest Kulak has been a net positive for the Avalanche. One crucial metric often missed in these evaluations is simply watching the game. Since Kulak joined the team, it has been evident that he has had stretches where he was not on the ice for a goal against. For a defenseman, whose primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring, this is significant.

His performance in the playoffs further solidified his value to the team. Kulak was instrumental during Colorado’s postseason run, even scoring the game-winning goal that propelled the Avalanche past the Minnesota Wild and into the Western Conference Final. Although his performance dipped in the third round—much like many of his teammates—singling him out seems unjust. As a defensive defenseman, it also seems unfair to criticize him for a lack of offensive flair.

While analytics play an important role in evaluating player performance, relying solely on numbers can create blind spots. There remains no substitute for the insights gained from watching the games unfold.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.