Claude Giroux Needs to Be Made Philadelphia Flyers Captain Before Playoffs

The Flyers took what easily could have been a season-ending blow when they lost their captain, Chris Pronger. While the team has been able to remain successful, the Flyers have to name a captain if they want to have playoff success. 

The Flyers should name Claude Giroux as their team captain before the playoffs begin.

When the Flyers traded away the two pillars of their franchise in Jeff Carter and former captain Mike Richards, the team extended the contracts of Giroux and James VanRiemsdyk to be the base the team would build around for the future. 

During Giroux’s first season as being one of the focal points on the Flyers, he as elevated his game to match his new role.

When the Flyers decided to focus on Giroux, they expected to have the veteran Pronger be the team leader while Giroux adjusted to his new role. Pronger faced several injuries during the beginning of the season, which led to him being out indefinitely with severe post-concussion symptoms. 

Leadership is not easy to find, and not everyone has the ability to be a great leader. During Pronger’s absence the Flyers have relied heavily on rookies and young players to fill the roster. Playing with so many young players has required Giroux to step up and play a leadership role for the team.

Not only has Giroux been a leader for the Flyers, he has also been the biggest point producer for the team. Giroux’s point totals are equal to the league’s best players. With only a few weeks left in the season, Giroux is only a few points behind Evgeni Malkin for the scoring title and the Art Ross Trophy.

With the dominant scoring of Giroux, and his ability to lead the team and do what is needed, he is also in the discussion for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who is the most valuable to his team. 

The Flyers might have reservations about Giroux because he is too young, but some of the best captains had very early starts. At 24 years old, Giroux would have a later start than Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Jonathan Towes and  SteveYzerman, who all were named as captains before turning 22. 

Not only have many great captains started young, but great captains lead their team for a long time. Yzerman held the title for 19 seasons, and Mario Lemieux held the title for 14 seasons. With Giroux only being 24 years old, he has the potential to lead the Flyers for many years to come. 

Giroux really is the future of the Flyers, and it’s not likely that the organization will trade him away like Carter or Richards. He leads the team every night, and does what is needed for the team. It seems like a no-brainer for the Flyers: the organization needs to make Giroux their captain. The sooner, the better.