At the outset of the current NHL campaign, I wrote about the offseason strategy of the Colorado Avalanche with pretty positive takeaways. The club obviously has cap concerns that make big moves unlikely, without some equally major piece going the other way.
Knowing that reality, and seeing the front office attempts to bolster the Colorado blue line, I began to see some possible writing on the wall. That specifically seemed to hint at the potential future of Samuel Girard.
The Avalanche signed both Erik Brannstrom and Oliver Kylington in the offseason. Two left shooting defensemen who were viewed as mobile types with some offensive skill. A player profile that reads a lot like Sammy G. on paper.
Samuel Girard, meanwhile, was no stranger to trade rumors. He was talked about last season, before Bowen Byram was the eventual D shipped to acquire Casey Mittelstadt from Buffalo. Based on what we've seen this season, the Avalanche made the right move by sticking with Girard over Byram.
Given Girard's $5 million-dollar contract it made sense for the Avalanche to consider their options. Of course, Brannstrom did not work out, He was traded to Vancouver for an injured Tucker Poolman in October, just before the season began.
Oliver Kylington, while still on the team, did not see a ton of ice-time when healthy. Kylington was injured in November, and was placed on IR January 1st, with no timetable for a return. That situation has given the impression that the Avalanche need help on the blue line.
However, it doesn't make sense for the Avalanche to be in the market for a top-four defenseman. The team already has four high-end NHL-caliber blue liners. While depth certainly makes sense, allow me to expand on why Samuel Girard has made all this talk about a high-end defenseman, like Ivan Provorov, a waste of time.