With the way the NHL game is played these days, a player who is short in stature is no longer an afterthought. Speed and skill are the pillars of the game now, and a player like Samuel Girard fits the new mold. In researching Girard, I came across this excellent article about small defensemen, give it a read.
Girard is undersized by the old standard, but what this player brings is high levels of offensive production from the blueline. He led the entire QMJHL in defensemen scoring in the regular season, and performed the same feat in the playoffs.