Most players are happy to answer when you ask how their summer went. The ever polite Sam Girard, still only 21-years-old, doesn’t want it to just be a one-way conversation.
“It was good, spent my summer in Quebec back home,” Girard said, before picking his head up and looking at me. “Yours?”
That’s the type of person Girard is. And that’s just one reason why the Avs were eager to lock him up for a very long time.
On July 31, the Avalanche announced they had signed Girard to a seven-year extension for a total of $35M (a $5M cap hit). The young defenseman is still on the final year of his entry-level contract, but the team showed no hesitation in locking him up for the better part of the next decade after the big steps he took last year.
So, how did the extension come together?
“My agent called me before he talked to Joe (Sakic),” the defenseman said on Saturday. “I told him I wanted long term. I’m very happy to be here for the next 8 years. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”
With the extension now out of the way, Girard only has hockey to focus on. After being the talk of camp last year after adding 18 pounds of muscle in the summer, the 5’10” defenseman looks even sturdier this camp. He says he’s around 180 right now but anticipates losing around 5 pounds during the season.
“That’s what I want. I feel good at 175 or 180.”
After starting last season with veteran Erik Johnson on the top pair, Girard finds himself in a familiar, yet different position as camp opened yesterday. Bednar has him paired with super prospect Cale Makar, much like they were in the postseason, and through two days they’re already showing the same electric chemistry they did after Makar joined the club midway through the playoffs.
Most 21-year-old defensemen don’t find themselves in the position of being the “old man” on their defensive pair, but the chemistry between the two young stars is undeniable.
“He’s so good on the ice,” Girard told BSN Denver after the second day of camp. “It’s easy to play with him. He’s good with the puck, he’s good offensively and defensively. I think we just need to talk on the ice and everything will go well.”
While Colorado has several young players it is entertaining putting on the NHL roster, the continued development of Girard hasn’t gone overlooked as he enters his third NHL season. His head coach knows exactly where he can improve.
“I’d like to see him get a little bit more involved on the offensive side of things,” Jared Bednar said after practice. “He certainly has the ability to do that, with the way he skates and moves the puck. At times he does that, other nights he seems more comfortable playing a defensive role and making a first pass.”
Girard knows he’s not perfect, and while his coach only mentioned one area he can improve, Girard sees room for improvement all over.
“When you’re a player, you want to be better everywhere,” Girard said. “My goal this year is just to be better and to make sure that we go far.”
While Girard is set to anchor the Avs top defensive pair this coming season, we had to address the other big news coming out of his summer: His new dog, Tornade the Doodle, and his social media popularity. When asked about it, the quiet Girard couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It was just an idea I had, me and my girlfriend,” he said. “He’s a very nice dog. I like him a lot and I’m glad that everyone likes him too.”
Thanks to the events of the offseason, Avalanche fans will get to enjoy a version of La Tornade both on and off the ice for the next eight years.
