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Girard signs seven-year, $35M extension with Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche v Minnesota Wild

ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 19: Samuel Girard #49 of the Colorado Avalanche looks to pass during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on March 19, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

As we wait to see what kind of extension Mikko Rantanen will receive from the Colorado Avalanche, the team is continuing to lock up its young talent.

The Avalanche announced on Wednesday that they have extended Samuel Girard with a seven-year, $35M deal. The 21-year-old defenseman has one season left on his entry-level contract, so this extension will kick in at the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.

“Samuel has been one of our best all-around defensemen since joining the Avalanche,” said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic. “He plays important minutes and is someone our coaches count on to play against other teams’ top lines. He has an exceptional ability to skate and move the puck. As a member of our core, we felt it was important to sign him to a long-term deal and we are excited to announce this extension.”
[ProHockeyTalk’s 2019 NHL free agency tracker]

Girard, a second-round draft pick by the Nashville Predators in 2016, was part of the Matt Duchene trade and has played 150 games with the Avalanche over the last two seasons, recording seven goals and 47 points. This past season he averaged 19:54 of ice time a night and picked up 27 points in the process. Playing most of the season and playoffs with Erik Johnson, the strong puck mover was also partnered with Cale Makar in the postseason and the duo shined. In a little over 64 minutes together, the pair posted a 57% Corsi rating, per Corsica, and a 58.24% expected goals for, which measures every scoring chance and tells whether a player should have scored from a specific opportunity.

That was a good look at a potential future full-time pairing and maybe one for the start of the season depending on how Johnson is following shoulder surgery. Add in 2019 first-round pick Bowen Byram to the youth mix and the Avalanche blue line has the potential to be incredibly strong over the next few years as they develop together.

MORE: Return on Duchene trade will help shape Avalanche’s defense for years

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.