The Ottawa Senators finally made the playoffs, paying off their lengthy rebuild. Mostly homegrown players led them to their first berth since 2017, like captain Brady Tkachuk and defenseman Jake Sanderson. But a few key veteran additions helped them along as well. One of the biggest for the Senators was Claude Giroux, whose contract is expiring on July 1. Ottawa Sun reporter Bruce Garrioch reported Tuesday that the two sides are working on a deal.
“Dave Poulin says the organization ‘loves Claude Giroux’ and ‘the negotiations continue,’” Garrioch reported, citing comments from the Senators’ VP of Hockey Operations.
Giroux spent 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, helping them reach the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. When his contract was expiring in 2022, they traded him to the Florida Panthers. He helped them finish off a historic regular season, but they lost in the second round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Then Giroux hit free agency, opting to come closer to home and signing with the Senators. He scored a career-high 35 goals in his first season in Ottawa at 35 years old. After 21 goals the following year and 15 this past season, he is set to be a free agent. Giroux will be 37 years old when the season begins, so another 35-goal season is not likely. But he can still be a valuable veteran voice in the locker room as the Senators look to advance in the playoffs.
According to CapWages, the Senators will have over $15 million in cap space to start the offseason. Most of their playoff core is locked in long-term, with a big decision on Shane Pinto coming soon. But that should not prevent them from striking a deal with the veteran Giroux. Adam Gaudette, Matthew Highmore, and Nick Cousins are other free-agent forwards from last year’s Ottawa squad. They should be able to retain Giroux and make a big splash in free agency.
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