The Avalanche have traded for forward Brandon Duhaime from the Wild, giving up a third-round pick in 2026, according to an announcement from the team.

Duhaime, aged 26, had attracted attention from various teams, including the Canucks, over recent weeks. He will remain in the same division, becoming Colorado’s third acquisition in two days.

In his new team, Duhaime will continue to play the role he did with the Wild for the past three seasons—providing physicality to the fourth line. While he hasn’t shown much offensive prowess, with only eight points in 62 games this season, he is known for his effective forechecking, allowing him to play slightly more minutes than a typical enforcer, averaging between 10 and 11 minutes per game throughout his NHL career.

Duhaime is known for his frequent hits, ranking among the top 32 NHL players with over 500 hits since 2021. However, his performance this season has dipped, with career-low possession metrics like a 44.1 CF% at even strength and a 41.6 xGF%.

As a pending unrestricted free agent with a $1.1M cap hit, the Wild had little incentive to keep Duhaime, especially with their decreasing chances of making the playoffs. Even if they were in a stronger playoff position, the demand for Duhaime on the market made it sensible to trade him, opening up space for younger players like Adam Beckman or Marat Khusnutdinov.

The addition of Duhaime, along with other recent forward acquisitions by the Avs, is likely to push depth players like Joel Kiviranta and Chris Wagner to the sidelines during the playoffs. Duhaime was one of five Wild players to feature in all 62 games of the season so far.

This trade marks the first time Colorado has traded a pick from their 2026 draft selections, having acquired an additional fifth-round pick in the same draft from Wednesday’s Sean Walker trade.