Sam Girard’s Struggles Spark Controversy, Yet Jared Bednar’s Bold Claims Hint at a Surprising Turnaround

Denver’s Ball Arena buzzed last night, but it wasn’t just the roar of the crowd—it was the mounting heat on Sam Girard after a costly turnover gifted the San Jose Sharks a breakaway goal. Social media lit up, fingers pointed, and guess who stepped into the fray? None other than Jared Bednar, the Avalanche’s head coach, who wasn’t having any of the blame game. He didn’t just defend Girard; he insisted the guy’s game has been shifting gears upward lately. Sure, the blueline miscue stung, but Bednar called it a bad decision, nothing more—a split-second choice in a chaotic moment. Despite San Jose knifing back into the game and tying it up, Colorado dug in deep and sealed a 4-2 win that night. It’s a story not just about a mistake but about resilience, trust, and the tough road of a player who was once the crown jewel in a multi-team trade. Whether Girard can keep turning things around—and whether the Avalanche will stick with him through his contract—adds a compelling twist to the season. Intrigued? You should be. LEARN MORE

DENVER — As criticism swirled around Sam Girard for his recent mistakes, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar stepped up Wednesday night to defend his defenseman.

Girard faced intense backlash on social media after an offensive blueline turnover led to a breakaway goal for San Jose Sharks forward Phillip Kurashev, who buried a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood. The Avalanche, however, managed to overcome the error to win 4-2 at Ball Arena.

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Not only did Bednar draw a clear line, but he also pushed back on the narrative that Girard hasn’t been performing well, insisting that his play has actually been improving in recent games.

“I actually think his game has been turning around recently,” the coach stated regarding his puck-moving defenseman. “He’s been playing pretty good. That (play with Kurashev) was just a bad decision.

“There’s no way you’re going to get back on that. The puck comes, it’s sort of a broken play, it’s trickling out to the point, the pressure’s coming. A good decision would have been just punch it back down behind the net. You don’t have to try to make something out of nothing, especially at the time and what just happened.”

Colorado outshot San Jose 31-13 through the first two periods and entered the third with a 2-0 lead, but that advantage evaporated early in the final frame. Timothy Liljegren scored 43 seconds into the third period, ripping a slap shot from the point that Blackwood misjudged to make it a one-goal game. Less than three minutes later, Girard made the turnover that allowed San Jose to tie the game.

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“They just got a quick one; they’re starting to want to pour it on, and then we make that mistake and next thing you know the game’s tied,” Bednar said as he continued to analyze Girard’s play. “I don’t know if Cale (Makar) would have gotten back on that one.

“Once you turn it over and the guy’s got a step on ya for the length of the ice, he’s going to get a scoring chance. That’s more decision than not being able to catch the guy.”

Acquired from the New York Rangers last season prior to the trade deadline, Ryan Lindgren was intended to serve as Girard’s replacement—a defense-first option who might sacrifice some offensive output in exchange for reliability on the back end, and at a more cost-effective contract. In the days leading up to July 1, the start of free agency, the Avalanche attempted to re-sign Lindgren before he became an unrestricted free agent, but Lindgren ultimately signed with the Seattle Kraken on a four-year, $18 million deal.

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In the 18 games Lindgren appeared in for Colorado, he became the team’s second-most-utilized left-shot defenseman behind Devon Toews. After Lindgren’s departure, the Avalanche added Brent Burns on a one-year deal. Meanwhile, Sam Malinski received a contract extension, and Girard has seen less ice time this season than at any point in his nine years with the team.

Girard, viewed as the centerpiece of the Matt Duchene trade, was acquired from the Nashville Predators in November 2017, with Duchene moving to the Ottawa Senators as part of the three-team deal.

The 27-year-old, who hails from Roberval, Quebec, has 37 career goals and 198 assists for 235 points in 588 NHL games. He is signed with Colorado through the 2026-27 season, but it will be interesting to see if the Avalanche commit through the end of the contract despite Bednar’s recent comments about his improving game.