According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, the Nashville Predators have signed their 2016 second-round pick Samuel Girard to a three-year, entry level contract.
Girard, 18, has played the past two seasons for Shawinigan of the QMJHL, turning in one of the finest offensive seasons from a blueliner in recent history last year. With 74 points in 67 games, Girard led all defensemen in the league and was 15 points ahead of the second highest scoring d-man.
Also adding a whopping 22 points in the playoffs, Girard is an elite puck-moving defender who is undersized and needs to work on his positioning in the defensive end. Weighing in at only 160 pounds last season, the left-handed shooter needs to bulk up considerably before making a push for the NHL.
His offense however, could lend itself to early professional success, as we’ve seen other undersized players flourish at the AHL level. If Girard can continue to put up points 5 on 5, the new analytical approach that is dominating front offices around the game might see him as a net-win, even at the highest level.
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