While Joe Sakic has removed an entire line’s worth of forwards from the Colorado Avalanche this summer, it appears he’s going to run it back with the same defense in 2026-27.

On Friday, the Avalanche announced they had re-signed Brett Kulak to a five-year contract that will carry a cap hit of $4.5 million each season. Kulak was acquired in February for Samuel Girard and was a solid addition to the blue line, scoring the series-clinching goal against the Minnesota Wild in round two.

In 27 regular season games with the Avalanche, Kulak picked up three assists and averaged a little over 19 minutes a game. In 13 playoff games, he picked up five points and played over 20 minutes a night.

In addition to Kulak’s five-year extension, the Avalanche will also bring back Brent Burns on a one-year contract. Burns will carry a base salary of $850,000 next season but can earn a little over $2 million in bonuses according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Burns has played in 1,007 consecutive regular season games and 58 games away from breaking Phil Kessel’s record of 1,064 consecutive games played.

In 82 games this past season, Burns scored 13 goals and picked up 35 points, all while playing a big role on Colorado’s top ranked penalty kill. In 13 playoff games, he picked up four assists.

With both Kulak and Burns signed, the Avalanche can “run it back” with their top six defensemen from the playoffs, as Devon Toews, Cale Makar, Sam Malinski, and Josh Manson are all under contract for next season.

The Avalanche now have a little over $5.6 million in cap space with 19 players on the roster. Most teams carry at least 21 players, so that number will dwindle depending on how they handle those final roster spots.