Samuel Girard not at Avs practice as team preps for final game

The Colorado Avalanche had a bad weekend, and that included losing defenseman Samuel Girard to a concussion.

Lost in the shuffle of Saturday’s disastrous 7-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets was Girard leaving the game with an “upper body injury” that was later confirmed to be a concussion by head coach Jared Bednar.

Girard didn’t travel with the team to Vegas, a painful 4-3 loss in overtime after blowing a 3-0 lead in the third period. Defenseman Caleb Jones slotted in for Girard, taking the ice with the Avalanche for the first time in about a month.

Girard wasn’t spotted at practice on Tuesday, clearly indicating he’s still dealing with the symptoms and his availability moving forward is in question.

Drouin – MacKinnon – Rantanen
Lehkonen – Mittelstadt – Nichushkin
Wood – Colton – Parise
Cogliano – Trenin – Duhaime – Kiviranta

Toews – Makar
Walker – Manson
Johnson – Jones

Lines at practice today. No Girard. MacKinnon/Rantanen back together.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) April 16, 2024

Girard has been solid for the Avs this season, posting three goals and 15 assists in 59 games. He missed time for a stint in the NHL’s Players Assistance Program, but seems to be back to his usual self after getting help.

Colorado will close the regular season on Thursday night at home against the Edmonton Oilers. They’re locked into a Round 1 matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, it’s just a matter of where the series will start. If Winnipeg gets even a point against Seattle later tonight, they’ll secure home-ice advantage.

The Avalanche have lost seven of their past 10 games, so they need to figure some things out before the postseason. Getting Samuel Girard back before Game 1 would certainly be a boost.