By Jordan Long
The Colorado Avalanche agreed to a contract extension with defenseman Samuel Girard. The deal is for 7-years paying him $5 million a season keeping him in a Colorado Avalanche uniform at least until 2027.
Girard is one of Colorado’s youngest defensemen at 21 years old. Last year he showed what he could do, appearing in 82 games for Colorado. In those games he was valuable on the power play and full-strength opportunities. He scored 4 goals and added 23 assists for a total of 27 points. On the power play, Girard set up near the blue line. He didn’t really fire the puck on net but rather found his teammates for them to score goals, totaling 9 power play assists. In the playoffs, Girard’s play didn’t carry over but he totaled 2 assists.
When it came to playing defense, Girard hit opponents skating into the defensive zone, ending scoring opportunities. He would poke check the puck away from rival teams allowing the Avalanche to move the puck into the offensive zone. When teams shot the puck, he blocked it before the goalie could save it. If he didn’t, Girard found the loose puck and fired it out of the zone.
The Avalanche know how valuable he is. They wanted to keep Girard for years to come as he develops his game at the NHL level. According to ESPN, Colorado Avalanche General Manager Joe Sakic said[JL1] , “Samuel has been one of our best all-around defensemen since joining the Avalanche. He plays important minutes and is someone our coaches count on to play against other teams’ top lines. He has an exceptional ability to skate and move the puck. As a member of our core, we felt it was important to sign him to a long-term deal and we are excited to announce this extension.”
The Avalanche now have a young core of defensemen who will grow at the NHL level together. Besides Girard they have Cale Makar and top draft pick Bowen Byram who will lead the way for years to come. They hope all of them help Colorado in the future and maybe even win a Stanley Cup.
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