Claude Giroux Makes Career Decision Ahead of 2026-27 NHL Season

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Ottawa Senators veteran forward Claude Giroux needed some time after the season to mull over his future. He’s a pending UFA, winding down his career and playing on a team that has started to make a push, but isn’t quite there yet. Whether he would continue playing wasn’t clear, and the only way to know for sure if it was a good idea was to step away for a minute.

He’s done so, and LeBrun reports that he has made a decision.

“I was told Monday that the 38-year-old forward, an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has decided he wants to come back and play another season.”

Over 82 games last season, Giroux had 14 goals and 49 points. That he played the full year at the age of 38 is the first impressive statistic. It means he’s as healthy as can be, and prolonging his career isn’t about concerns in that regard. He’s missed only one game in the past four seasons.

That he also regularly produced is another good indicator he can do so again on a one-year extension. Over the past two seasons, his goal scoring has dropped, but not significantly. He’s gone from 21 goals in 2023-25 to 15 in 2024-25 and 14 this past season. On the right deal, he would hold strong value as both a depth scorer and a leader.

Senators Need to Get This Done

For the Sens, this is a no-brainer. Coming off a deal that saw him make $2 million last season, another one-year extension at around the same money with a rising salary cap won’t hurt Ottawa’s financial situation.

Don’t expect this to take long to get done. He wants to remain a Senator, and the Sens would be foolish not to keep him around if he’s not asking for anything outrageous.

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