Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Records helper in return
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Girard logged an assist in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Sabres.
Girard missed 15 games due to an upper-body injury. He returned to a third-pairing role Thursday, logging 16:54 of ice time. The helper was his first point of the year to go with three shots on net, four blocked shots, three hits and a plus-2 rating over three outings. Girard's return should help bolster the bottom of the Avalanche's defense, which will make it tougher for Ilya Solovyov to get into the lineup.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Suiting up versus Sabres
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Girard (upper body) will be in action against Buffalo on Thursday, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Girard will return following a 15-game stint on injured reserve due to his upper-body issue. In 73 regular-season games last year, the 27-year-old blueliner notched 24 points but could struggle to produce at that level this time around due to his lengthy injury absence. With Girard back in the lineup, Ilya Solovyov figures to be relegated to the press box as a healthy scratch.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Not playing this weekend
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Girard (upper body) will not travel to Edmonton and Vancouver this weekend, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports reports Friday.
Girard has been out since Oct. 11 and has missed 12 games thus far. The 27-year-old had three hits and three blocked shots in two games before his injury. Girard could return as early as Tuesday against the Ducks.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Could play next weekend
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Head coach Jared Bednar said Thursday that he hopes that Girard (upper body) can return to the lineup Nov. 8 versus Edmonton, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Girard is currently on injured reserve after getting hurt in the second game of the season Oct. 9 against Utah. The defenseman is without a point in his two appearances this season.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Moves to IR
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Girard (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday, per the NHL media site.
The Avalanche recalled Jack Ahcan from AHL Colorado on Sunday for the team's two-game road trip, which begins against Buffalo on Monday. Girard sat out Saturday's 5-4 shootout loss to Dallas and is week-to-week. He hasn't earned a point in two appearances this season while posting three blocked shots and two hits.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Considered week-to-week
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Girard (upper body) is week-to-week, according to Conor McGahey of Altitude TV on Saturday.
Girard has supplied two shots on goal, three blocked shots and three hits in two games this season. The 27-year-old Girard will be replaced in Saturday's lineup against Dallas by Ilya Solovyov.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Expected to play Saturday
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Girard (lower body) is slated to play in his first preseason game Saturday in Dallas, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.
Girard started off training camp in a non-contact jersey and now appears in line to be ready for Opening Night in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The veteran defenseman had three goals, 21 assists, 95 shots on goal and 111 blocked shots across 73 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Won't face Vegas
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Girard will miss Wednesday's preseason game against Vegas, per Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now.
Girard hasn't gotten into any preseason action this year, but he might still be an option to play in Saturday's exhibition game against Dallas. Provided he's healthy, the 27-year-old might be a part of the top four for the Avalanche's season opener versus the Kings on Tuesday. Girard had three goals, 24 points, 62 hits and 111 blocks across 73 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Could be ready for Opening Night
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Head coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday that Girard (lower body) is expected to miss time during camp but could be ready to return by Opening Night, Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports reports.
Girard has been skating in a non-contact jersey recently due to his lower-body injury, and while he's expected to spend some time rehabbing during training camp, he could be back in time for the regular season. Girard logged three goals, 21 assists, 111 blocked shots and 62 hits while averaging 20:51 of ice time over 73 regular-season appearances last year.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Nursing injury in on-ice activities
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Girard (lower body) was seen skating gingerly in a non-contact jersey Friday after missing all of the Avalanche's previous informal skates, Brennan Vogt of Hockey Mountain High reports.
Girard appears to be working his way back from an injury of some sort, though no details were available. The 27-year-old could be limited in training camp but should be good for a top-four role on the blue line if he's healthy by the start of the regular season.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Adds insurance tally
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Girard scored a goal on three shots and added three hits in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Stars in Game 4.
Girard scored midway through the third period to produce the final score. The 26-year-old defenseman has impressed in the postseason, earning a goal, two assists, six shots on net, seven hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over four contests. He's playing on the second pairing and has enough talent to continue to be a decent depth scorer on the blue line.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Draws assist in loss
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Girard notched an assist in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Stars in Game 3.
Girard set up a Valeri Nichushkin tally in the first period. The helper was Girard's second assist over three playoff contests, and he's added a plus-1 rating, three shots on net, four hits and two blocked shots. The 26-year-old blueliner continues to fill a bottom-four role with power-play time. He may continue to chip in depth offense but is unlikely to be a leader in that area for the Avalanche.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Hands out helper Saturday
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Girard notched an assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Kings.
Girard helped out on Valeri Nichushkin's game-tying tally in the second period, which evened the score at 2-2. This was Girard's first point in two games back after he missed four contests due an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old blueliner is at 24 points, 95 shots on net, 110 blocked shots, 62 hits and a plus-5 rating over 72 appearances. He'll moonlight on the top pairing and first power-play unit again Sunday versus the Ducks, but expect Cale Makar and Devon Toews to retake those roles in the playoffs after both blueliners were rested for the Avalanche's final road trip of the regular season.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Returning against Canucks
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Girard (undisclosed) will be in the lineup for Thursday's clash with Vancouver, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Girard will be back in action following a four-game stint on the shelf due to his undisclosed injury. Despite having generated just one of his 23 points this season with the man advantage, Girard is expected to link up with the No. 2 power-play unit. Still, there isn't enough offensive upside here to make Girard a viable option in most fantasy formats.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Remains unavailable against Vegas
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Girard (undisclosed) will not be an option versus the Golden Knights on Tuesday, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Girard will miss his fourth straight game due to his undisclosed injury and is running out of time to play again in the regular season. While the blueliner has managed 23 points this year, the bulk of that scoring was at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, as he has managed just three points in his last 19 outings. With Josh Manson (upper body) also sidelined, the Avs will utilize Keaton Middleton and Erik Johnson on the third pairing.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Considered day-to-day
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Girard was labeled day-to-day ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Vegas, Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports reports.
Girard is currently mired in a 19-game goal drought during which he has managed just three assists and 20 shots on net. Between his injury absence and the offensive slump, the 26-year-old blueliner looks poised to miss the 30-point mark for the second straight year. If Girard remains out Tuesday, Keaton Middleton should continue to feature on the third pairing.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Plucks apple in win
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Girard notched an assist in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Kings.
Girard snapped a three-game dry spell on offense, though he also missed two games in that span due to a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old defenseman is playing in a third-pairing role for now, but he often sees top-four minutes as a more established option than Sam Malinski or Keaton Middleton. Girard is up to 23 points, 86 shots on net, 100 blocked shots, 55 hits and a plus-7 rating through 68 outings.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Good to go
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Girard (lower body) will play against Detroit on Tuesday, per Conor McGahey of Altitude TV.
Girard will return to action following a two-game absence and see time on the second power-play unit. He has contributed three goals, 22 points, 83 shots on net, 94 blocked shots and 53 hits in 66 appearances this season. Girard will replace Erik Johnson (lower body) in Tuesday's lineup.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Out Saturday
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Head coach Jared Bednar ruled out Girard (lower body) for Saturday's game versus the Canadiens, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.
Girard will miss his second game in a row due to the injury. The 26-year-old's absence will allow Keaton Middleton to stay in the lineup. Girard's next chance to play is Tuesday at home versus the Red Wings.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Dealing with lower-body injury
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Girard isn't in the lineup Thursday versus Ottawa because of a lower-body injury, per Brennan Vogt of Mile High Hockey.
Girard is considered day-to-day, so perhaps he'll still be an option Saturday against Montreal. The 26-year-old has three goals, 22 points, 53 hits and 94 blocks in 66 outings in 2024-25. Keaton Middleton is set to face the Senators because of Girard's absence.
