Predators' Samuel Girard: Nashville rolls dice on power-play specialist
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Girard was selected by the Predators with the 47th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Girard is an offensive wizard with the puck who averaged more than a point per game (67 points in 74 games) for Shawinigan (QMJHL) this past season. That's the good news. But there are few players in the draft who will frustrate coaches and fans alike as much as the diminutive defenseman. Girard makes a ridiculous number of high-risk plays. He gets away with many because of his skill level relative to his junior peers, but pro hockey is a different beast. And at 160 pounds, Girard needs to put on a minimum of 15-20 pounds of muscle to be able to complete against the best players in the world. Girard has the potential to be a real asset for Nashville, but he has to be deployed correctly. Asking him to play major minutes at even strength could result in catastrophic results.
