The Colorado Avalanche returned to the playoffs for a seventh straight year, but it was a disappointing end to the season, falling in the first round to the Dallas Stars. Now, the Avalanche look to re-tool their roster, but with cap constraints, they may need to move players. One of those could be Samuel Girard, and there are a few spots that would be perfect for his services.
The Avs opened up their offseason by spending some major money. They re-signed Brock Nelson to a $22.5 million deal, taking up $7.5 million in cap space per year. The Avalanche also signed blue liner Brent Burns to a contract this summer. Still, they needed to clear cap space, and they started to do that with the trade of Charlie Coyle to the Columbus Blue Jackets. With a need to begin contract negotiations with Martin Necas and Jack Drury, Colorado may be looking to clear out even more cap space. They have just $7.3 million in space remaining. One move could be to trade Girard.
The Canadian defender was the 47th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators. He would break into the NHL for the first time in the 2017-18 season, playing five games for the Predators. He would then be traded to the Avs, playing 68 games that year for them. The blue liner has remained with the franchise since. Last season was a solid year for the former second-round pick. He would score three goals while adding 21 assists. Further, he had a plus-seven rating, while also seeing 20:50 of ice time per game. He will be paid $5 million this year and is currently with the second defensive rotation, which could make him an attractive option to trade for Colorado.
Could the Senators swing a trade for Samuel Girard?
The Ottawa Senators have already made one trade to add to their blueline, trading with the Los Angeles Kings for Jordan Spence. This does not preclude them from making another move, and this could be a solid play for Ottawa. By adding Spence, the Senators got a 24-year-old in the last year of his contract. Spence had four goals with 24 assists while also blocking 77 shots. Adding Girard would be a similar addition. Girard had 24 points last year, but has been a 30-point scorer for much of his career. He did have 111 shots blocked and 24 takeaways, both numbers better than Spence.
The Senators would need to make other moves to make this deal happen. They have under $2 million in cap space currently, so bringing in the $5 million of Girard is not currently possible. Still, if the Senators are looking for a second defender similar to the one they just acquired, they could move on from Nick Jensen. Currently, Jensen is projected on the second rotation. Moving Jensen would allow the Senators to grab Girard and replace him with a younger and better offensive player.
This is the least likely of trade destinations for Girard, considering the move for Spence, but it is clear that Ottawa desires this type of player, as shown by their long-term commitments to Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot. A deal here would allow them to acquire another solid defender on the blue line who can also help out on offense.
The Devils could benefit from a trade
The Devils could benefit heavily from trading for the Canadian-born blueliner if they choose to move on from a different defender. Rumors have circulated that the Devils may be interested in trading away Dougie Hamilton. The Avs could take on Hamilton’s contract if they send Girard to the Devils, but with the fact that they are trying to create more cap space, it seems unlikely a direct swap would happen. For the Devils, they would need to move Hamilton first. The former first-round pick of the Boston Bruins is currently making $9 million per year and still has three years on his contract. The Devils need to create cap space to bring back restricted free agent Luke Hughes.
Trading away Hamilton and bringing in the Avalanche defender would save the team $4 million, enough to work with their current cap and bring back Hughes. Offensively, this would be a downgrade for the Devils at the blue line. Hamilton scored 74 points for the team in 2022-23 and had 40 points last season despite injuries. Still, from a shot blocking and takeaway perspective, this would be a slight upgrade for the Devils. This move would allow the Devils to continue to have a top-quality defender on their top two rotations, while also saving enough money to keep their star blue liner.
The Ducks add a new dimension to their blueline
The Anaheim Ducks did not have a ton of offensive production from the blueline last year. Their top point-producing defender was Jackson LaCombe, who had 43 points. Second was Olen Zellweger, who had just 20 points. The Ducks do have two veteran defenders currently on the roster, with Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas. Still, both are over the age of 30, in the last year of their contracts, and play on the right-hand side.
A move for Girard would give the Ducks a veteran on the left side who can also show offensive skill for the two younger defenders in LaCombe and Zellweger. The rearguard is also under contract for two more seasons and could stick around with this young core of defenders longer. He is also just 27, so while he would be a veteran with the Ducks, bringing plenty of playoff experience, he is still relatively young. The Ducks have more than enough cap space to bring in the $5 million contract, and the signing of Mikael Granlund shows they are willing to spend that cap space.
Overall, trading Girard could be difficult with his $5 million cap hit. Still, he has shown to be a quality defender in the NHL, and many teams would benefit from having his services. He does own a modified no-trade clause, but if the Avs can find the right situation, he could be moving on this summer.
-1751642663-q80.webp "The Receipt That Changed Everything: Saquon Barkley’s Quiet Gesture Sparks National Wave of Kindness")