The Colorado Avalanche pulled off a sneaky little trade on Wednesday evening to help with their defensive depth for the playoff run.

Defenseman Nick Blankenburg was acquired from the Nashville Predators for a fifth round draft pick in 2027.

Blankenburg is a right-handed, 27 year old blue-liner who is currently enjoying the best season of his career. In 49 games with the Preds this season he scored 6 goals and added 15 assists for 21 points.

He entered the NHL as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Michigan when he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021. He then signed with Nashville as a free agent in 2024. In 164 career games, he’s tallied 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points.

At 5’9” and 177 lbs, his frame to go along with his style of play could be compared to Samuel Girard, whom the Avs just traded away last week in a trade for Brett Kulak.

The Avs were in need of finding that all important 7th defenseman for the playoff push ahead, as possible injuries and stamina start to become a major factor. You don’t want to be stuck having to play an AHLer with no experience when it matters most.

It remains to be seen where exactly Blankenburg will fit in the lineup, because as of now he is technically the 7th defenseman and a likely healthy scratch. But the Avs will certainly give him a look in some games coming up as they look to keep everyone fresh, and he’s having a great breakout season, so it’s hard to see him just sitting in the press box too often.

There are definitely more moves on deck for Colorado as we head towards the NHL Trade Deadline at 1:00 PM on Friday. Rumors are swirling around like crazy, so make sure you stay tuned into our coverage here on 303Hockey.co and on X at @303Hockey.