DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the team has acquired defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Blankenburg, 27, has posted single-season career-highs in goals (6) and assists (15) and has averaged 17:58 of time on ice per game in 49 contests with the Predators. His goals and points ranked second among Nashville defensemen at the time of the trade, while his assist totals were third among that cohort. Three of Blankenburg’s tallies this season came on the power play, all in November, which were tied for the most among NHL rearguards in that span.
The 5-foot-9, 177-pound defenseman has played in 164 career NHL games with Nashville (2024-26) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (2021-24), registering 55 points (16g/39a) and has averaged 18:40 of ice time per game. He’s cleared double-digit points on three occasions, with the other instances coming in 2024-25 (4g/12a) and 2022-23 (4g/10a).
Additional pro experience for Blankenburg includes 37 games for the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters (2023-24) and Milwaukee Admirals (2024-25). He recorded 21 points (6g/15a) over those two stints.
Originally signed as a free agent by Columbus on April 8, 2022, Blankenburg played collegiately at the University of Michigan from 2018-22 and was the captain his senior season. The Washington, Mich., native produced 68 points (25g/43a) in 133 career games. Prior to enrolling at Michigan, Blankenburg played the 2017-18 season with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Okotoks Oilers where he posted 42 points (16g/26a) in 57 games.
Internationally, Blankenburg represented Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship and dressed in four games (0g/0a).
