Former Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux is set to have an interesting campaign. The veteran forward is entering the final season of the three-year, $19.5 million contract he signed with the Ottawa Senators during the 2022 NHL Offseason. Thus, he is a player to watch during his contract year.
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The Senators aim to finally take that next step in their long-term rebuild and return to the playoffs. Even after making several notable additions in recent years, the Senators’ playoff drought currently sits at seven seasons. They are hoping that the summer addition of star goaltender Linus Ullmark will make them into a playoff team. However, if improving between the pipes still isn’t enough, Giroux could become a very popular name in the rumor mill when we get closer to the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
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However, Giroux would have a complete say over whether or not he would be traded from his hometown team, as he has a full no-movement clause. Yet, if the Senators are near the bottom of the standings again, it would not be too surprising if he ended up being open to a move to a contender. We have seen several stars with NMCs accept trades to contenders at the deadline in recent years, like Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko.
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If Giroux were made available next season near the deadline and open to a move, he would be a hot commodity. Even at 36 years old, he is still an impactful top-six winger. In 82 games last season, the former Flyer posted 21 goals to go along with 64 points.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with Giroux this season. If the Senators finally take that next step and are in the playoff hunt, he would be very likely to stay. However, if they are once again one of the worst NHL clubs and Giroux is not signed to an extension, there will be some buzz surrounding him once the deadline approaches.
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