Avalanche legend shares hilarious reaction to Samuel Girard trade

Samuel Girard’s long history with the Colorado Avalanche makes his trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak feel like a much bigger loss for the organization than it actually is. Girard has been a mainstay on Colorado’s blueline for the last nine seasons, including a Stanley Cup run with the team in the 2022-23 season. Girard missed most of that run with an injury, but he was a big reason the team got to that point.

One of his teammates on that roster was fellow defenseman Erik Johnson. Colorado’s stay-at-home former blueliner left as much of an impact in the locker room as he did on the ice, which is why the talker seamlessly transitioned from a playing career to a career behind the mic as an analyst. He shared a hilarious moment with Nathan MacKinnon in a post-game interview earlier this season, which led to his reaction to the Girard trade.

Erik Johnson’s reaction to his good friend being dealt. https://t.co/OACjUtiXaH pic.twitter.com/yGYypBZbP9

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) February 24, 2026

MacKinnon poked fun at Johnson’s aggressive tan in the post-game interview, which was the reasoning for Johnson’s hilarious reaction. In an era when more ex-players are bringing their personalities to the media side, Johnson has been a welcome addition to hockey coverage around the league. He has the potential to join the Paul Bissonnettes and Keith Yandles of the world as someone who can blend humor and great analysis to succeed on the media side.

While the Avalanche will miss Samuel Girard’s presence in the locker room, the clearing of cap space could be setting up something bigger for Colorado as we get closer to the trade deadline. If it does, the blow could soften a bit for Erik Johnson and Girard’s Avalanche teammates.

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