Claude Giroux has signed a 3-year, $19.5M contract with the Ottawa Senators ($6.5M AAV), ending any glimmer of hope of a reunion with the Philadelphia Flyers. Pierre LeBrun reported the terms as free agency officially opened up.
Giroux joins the Senators after splitting the 2021-22 season between the Flyers and Florida Panthers, who he was traded to after his 1,000th career NHL game, all coming with the Flyers. He posted 21 goals and 44 assists for 65 points in 75 games this season with the two clubs, with 18 goals and 24 assists coming in 57 contests with Philadelphia. He also scored 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in 10 playoff games for Florida, including a series-clinching assist in overtime of Game 6 in their first round matchup with Washington.
Giroux was drafted by the Flyers in the first round of the 2006 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut on February 9th, 2008 coincidentally against the Senators at then-Scotiabank Place. He proceeded to play 1,000 regular season contests in Philadelphia, along with 85 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Giroux left Philadelphia with 291 goals and 609 assists for an even 900 points during his tenure, and he also served as the 19th captain in franchise history from 2013 up until his trade to Florida on March 19th, 2022; the longest tenure a captain has served with the Flyers.
Giroux provided Philadelphia with plenty of moments that will last a lifetime, from his shootout winning goal in 2010 to lock the Flyers into the playoffs en route to their magical Stanley Cup Final run, his overtime-winning deflection in Game 3 of the Final, “The Shift” in Game 6 against the Penguins in 2012, his spinning backhand 100th NHL goal in 2014, and to his 2019 overtime winner in the Stadium Series, and more.
The 34-year-old Hearst, Ontario native will be joining a very good forward group that includes Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Josh Norris, Alex DeBrincat, and Drake Batherson, along with other Senators such as defensemen Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub, and former Philadelphia teammate Cam Talbot in goal. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has been very active this offseason and has seemingly found a way to make Ottawa immediately competitive again, and this signing could help the Senators make a serious playoff push.
Giroux will provide excellent scoring depth and leadership for a young and budding Senators club looking to take a big leap in the 2022-23 season. Giroux has been rumored to play in Ottawa for seemingly forever, given that he and his family reside there in the summertime, and now he can call it his official year-round home.
