Senators wait for Claude Giroux decision amid potential Flyers reunion: What we’re hearing
The departure of now-former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk still stings in Ottawa after he was traded over a week ago. And the Sens are bracing themselves for another mainstay leaving their team.
The Senators say they’re keeping the door open for pending UFA Claude Giroux to return, as the team has let other aging free-agent veterans — namely Lars Eller and Nick Jensen — sign elsewhere. However, Giroux could reunite with the Philadelphia Flyers, the team that drafted him at No. 22 during the 2006 draft. Giroux spent 15 seasons with the Flyers, playing 1,000 NHL games with the franchise and scoring 291 goals and 900 points.
According to Senators GM Steve Staios, that door’s been open since the March trade deadline. The Sens say they’ve been in a holding pattern waiting on Giroux to decide on his future.
“I think we’ve stated how much we want him back. We’ve been unwavering in our message to him,” Staios said on Wednesday. “(We) offered him a contract as far back as before the trade deadline. (He) wanted to take a look around in free agency, but hasn’t closed the door to come back to Ottawa.
“For us, there’s also a reason why I’m not active today. Obviously, that spot is reserved for him, and I’m eagerly anticipating waiting to have a conversation with him.”
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On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Giroux would hit the free-agent market after spending four seasons with the Sens while keeping the door open for Ottawa. Giroux signed with Ottawa as a free agent in July 2022 and, following his initial three-year deal expiring, signed a one-year, bonus-filled $2 million contract extension last summer with up to $2.75 million in performance bonuses. This past year, Giroux scored 14 goals and 49 points while also finishing the season as the NHL’s best faceoff man with a 63.1 percent rate.
Flyers GM Daniel Brière, a former teammate of Giroux’s, also confirmed that talks have been ongoing. When asked specifically about Giroux and fellow free agent John Carlson in his media availability, Brière said: “We’ve had some discussions. I can’t say much more than that. We’ve had some discussions. We’re looking at everything. But at the moment, there’s nothing imminent.”
One Flyers source told The Athletic on Wednesday afternoon, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, that the team expected Giroux to sign a one-year deal to return to the club. It’s possible, though, that the Flyers are still hopeful that they’ll be able to sign Carlson, which would likely make Giroux unaffordable.
Giroux would fill a short-term need on the Flyers as a right-shot center who can take draws, as well as help on the power play, where he had one goal and 12 assists last season. Giroux’s 84 power-play goals with the Flyers is eighth-most in franchise history.
Bringing in another center would also give coach Rick Tocchet some options as the club still has Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates and Sean Couturier down the middle. Zegras, a restricted free agent who still needs a new contract, is expected to begin next season in the middle, per a team source. Giroux played both center and wing with Ottawa during his time there.
The Senators were relatively quiet on the first day of free agency. Their biggest moves were re-signing forward Nick Cousins and signing former Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson to two-year deals. Ersson’s deal carries a $2.2 million cap hit, higher than the $1.6 million qualifying offer he could’ve signed, according to PuckPedia. But the Sens didn’t sign it to avoid an arbitration case and a potentially higher price tag due to his experience.
“We feel on a two-year deal, we’re hopeful that we’re going to get great value in Year 2 (of his deal),” Staios said.
But the Sens are seemingly affected by Giroux’s inaction in completing further business.
“This is dependent on Claude, and we want to see what direction he’s going first,” Staios said.