The Colorado Avalanche kicked off the final stretch of the regular season with a trade, sending Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was tough for Girard to find playing time in Colorado, especially after Brent Burns' arrival. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar spoke with Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey News about Girard's playing time and trade.
“Bednar said there were a few things that led to Samuel Girard being pushed down the lineup over the past handful of seasons. Size/physicality among them. Girard was pushed off the second pair by Lindgren last year and Burns this year. He gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh,” Deen reported.
Girard was drafted in the second round of the 2017 Draft by the Nashville Predators. After playing just five games there, he was dealt to the Avalanche in the Matt Duchene trade. After 583 games in Denver, Girard is out the door, but it was not all great during his tenure there.
Girard is undersized for a defenseman, listed at just 5'10” and 170 pounds. The Avalanche could not get elite offensive production out of him, partially because they did not need it. When Cale Makar and Devon Toews are running the powerplay units, it is hard for any other defensemen to get on the scoresheet. As Deen reported, Girard was bumped for a bigger defenseman in each of the last two seasons.
The Avalanche added Brent Kulak in the trade, who does have a significant height and weight advantage over Girard. He also has a lower cap hit, giving them more space to add at the upcoming NHL trade deadline. Kulak started the season with the Edmonton Oilers and was dealt to the Penguins in the Tristan Jarry trade. His contract expires after this season, while Girard has one year left after this one.
Can this trade push the Avalanche to a championship?
