Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard, a major return piece in the 2017 trade that sent Matt Duchene to Ottawa, is on track to play in Colorado longer than Duchene’s eight seasons.

The Avs on Wednesday announced they have signed Girard, 21, to a seven-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season. The deal is worth $35 million, according to a team source.

“Samuel has been one of our best all-around defensemen since joining the Avalanche,” Colorado general manager Joe Sakic said in a news release. “He plays important minutes and is someone our coaches count on to play against other teams’ top lines. He has an exceptional ability to skate and move the puck. As a member of our core, we felt it was important to sign him to a long-term deal.”

Girard was second among Colorado defensemen with 27 points (four goals and 23 assists) last season. He played in 68 games with the Avs in 2017-18 after being acquired early in the season from Nashville in the three-team trade that sent Duchene to Ottawa.

Girard was selected in the second round (47th overall) of the 2016 draft by Nashville. He will conclude his three-year, entry-level contract (ELC) that carries a $728,333 cap hit in the upcoming season. His new $5 million annual deal kicks in for the 2021-22 season.

Girard was paired with Erik Johnson most of last season — until Cale Makar joined the Avs in the playoffs after playing in the NCAA championship game for the University of Massachusetts. Makar, the Avs’ 2017 first-round draft pick (No. 4 overall) who also is a dynamic puck-moving defenseman, will complete his ELC after the 2020-21 season and warrant a hefty raise based on his production and promise.

The luxury of having Girard, Makar and 2019 first-round draft pick Bo Byram (No. 4 overall) made Tyson Barrie expendable and led to his July 1 trade to Toronto. Barrie’s $5.5 million annual contract expires after the upcoming season and Colorado probably couldn’t afford to resign him and could have lost him to free agency.

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