The Ottawa Senators have signed veteran forward Claude Giroux to a three-year contract in free agency. The former Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers star is coming off an 8-year deal with an $8.275 million annual average value (AAV). This deal is worth $6.5 million per season and was likely agreed to in an effort to give him a little security at the age of 34, an opportunity to play at home, and he says a chance to win.
Giroux had only known the Flyers organization until he waived his no-trade clause to join the Panthers near the end of the 2021-22 season. The idea was that he could compete for a Stanley Cup, but the Panthers lost a disappointing series to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and with a number of big contracts coming due in the next few seasons for the Panthers, Giroux was bound to move on. There was talk that he would consider Florida, but most expected he might head to a more familiar location.
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Ultimately, he signs with the Senators, the team most actively interested in him from the start. He talked about having the opportunity to come home and play and once he realized it was an option, he never looked back. He admitted it wasn’t always the Senators, but things came together and as the franchise made other moves to improve and once he knew they were interested, it was a done deal.
Giroux has a lot to offer any team. He’s a solid two-player who can still score. He’s physical and gritty and takes key faceoffs. He can play power-play minutes and he’s a tremendous leader. In addition to being a top-six center who can win faceoffs, contribute on the power play, and produce offensively, He will still score and with the right linemates, could score a lot.
Giroux brings with him more than 1,000 games of NHL experience. In that time, he’s scored 923 points, 102 of which he posted in the 2017-18 season. He’s been a regular point-per-game player and there’s still something left in the tank. He can also offer a lot to the fan base as part of the community and reinvigorate the Senators’ brand.
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