Avalanche fans alarmed as new report raises concerns about Samuel Girard
Photo credit: Joe Sargent / NHLI
The Colorado Avalanche find themselves in a tricky spot with Samuel Girard: his contract complicates the salary cap and makes trading him difficult, yet the team still relies on him.
As one of only two left-handed defensemen on the roster, trading Girard could create as many issues as keeping him.
The Avalanche do not know what to do with Sam Girard.
Stefano Rubino of The Hockey News recently highlighted Sam Girard's tricky situation with the Colorado Avalanche, noting that his role is shrinking while the team remains constrained by his contract.
"The Avalanche appears to view his role as diminished compared to previous years, which leads many to believe they are still exploring trade options for him. If they were reluctant to keep Charlie Coyle in a third-line role at his salary, it's hard to imagine them retaining Girard at $5 million while having him play a career-low of just 17 minutes per game, as he did in the seven-game series loss to Dallas." -Rubino
However, the Avalanche currently only have two left-handed defensemen and unless they find one, they can't trade Girard, even if someone were willing to take on his contract.
"Acquired from the New York Rangers, Lindgren was to be the «Girard» replacer, someone who might sacrifice some offense for more defense and on a cheaper contract. In the days leading up to July 1st, the start of free agency, the Avalanche attempted to re-sign Lindgren before he became an unrestricted free agent, but were unsuccessful. He ultimately signed with the Seattle Kraken on a four-year, $18 million deal." -Rubino
The Avalanche are in a 'win-now, deal-with-the-consequences-later' mode. This could lead to Girard being traded, potentially packaged with draft picks and prospects for a marginally stronger defenseman.
But if they fall short of the Stanley Cup, the team could face a prolonged period of struggle lasting a decade or more.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 18 | 36 ANSWERS Avalanche fans alarmed as new report raises concerns about Samuel Girard Should Sam Girard be traded to another team? | ||
| Yes | 20 | 55.6 % |
| No | 16 | 44.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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