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Todd Cordell
I think this is a nice bit of business for the Colorado Avalanche.
Sam Girard is already one of the league's best in terms of successfully breaking the puck out of the defensive zone and maintaining possession.
He can consistently get the puck up to the team's skilled forwards, chip in offensively at evens, quarterback a power play, and buy his team a *ton* of extra opportunities.
Since entering the league, Girard has drawn 29 penalties and taken just three at 5v5. That's an insane +26 penalty differential, good for 13 extra power plays a year. That's big, especially on an Avalanche team with such a lethal PP.
I think Girard is worth the money already and, at 21, there is still plenty of room to grow. This deal locks him up for the entirety of his prime. If for some reason he stagnates, it's a fine deal. If he improves, it could be a steal.
There is not a ton of risk here and very real potential for a reward.
Peter Tessier
This was a smart move for the Avs and Girard. The cap hit may be steep(to start) but the reality of this deal is how risky is the bet if you are Girard or the Avs?
Girard needs to put up some numbers in the 30-40 point range before many fans see him as the kind of player that deserves that level of salary or security but look at what other far less dynamic defence players have received- Kulikov anyone? This is safe bet for the Avs and if Girard continues to develop and maintain a level of play in that 30 point range then he's going to cash in again come the next deal when he is 28.
Adam French
This is quite the ambitious deal. Personally I like this move as I am a big fan of Girard as a player. I think in a few years he will have that Roman Josi/Ekholm level of "steal" contracts. Though as people have pointed out, if he is terrible or simply never improves enough to justify his salary, and/or is passed so quickly by Makar/Byram, then he can be bought out in 2023 with little consequences.
Girard is a nice example of the modern defenseman. Smart, poised, fast and able to move up and down the ice with ease. At only 21 years old with back to back 20+ point seasons Girard has been extremely impressive. The type of second round gamble turned early commodity that teams rarely take chances on.
It's a risky move to be sure, but they locked up a top-4 defenseman through his prime for a price that players out of their prime usually get.
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