The defenseman is still recovering from an injury.
Samuel Girard (upper-body injury) will remain sidelined and will not travel with the team for their upcoming road trip to Edmonton and Vancouver this weekend.
The 27-year-old defenseman has been out of the lineup since October 11, missing the last 12 games. Before sustaining the injury, Girard appeared in two games, recording three hits and three blocked shots until sustaining a UBI.
Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) on X
Here’s a recent clip of Samuel Girard getting some work in. @milehighhockey #goavsgo
Although he continues to make progress in his recovery, the team is taking a cautious approach to ensure he’s fully ready before returning to action. There’s optimism that Girard could be available as early as Tuesday, when the team returns home to face the Anaheim Ducks. His return would provide a significant boost to the defensive corps, particularly in puck movement and offensive progression.
Injury Fest
Girard was a regular at the team’s optional skates throughout August, showing his usual commitment and energy on the ice. However, after August 17, his absence from practices began to draw attention. Although he was still seen around the practice facility, he was no longer skating with the group, which led to growing speculation that he might be dealing with an injury.
Those suspicions were mostly confirmed when Girard later joined a skate for injured players, wearing a red non-contact jersey. The Avalanche eventually revealed that he was dealing with a lower-body injury. Unfortunately, Girard went on to suffer another injury—this time to a different area of his body—during the second game of the season.
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