5 Free-Agent Landing Spots for Claude Giroux amid NHL Rumors

While Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares are the free agents who will get the most attention this offseason, there are still a couple of really good second-tier options who should be attractive to teams.

Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux is going to be high on that list.

Even though he is 37 years old, he showed this season he can still be a productive player, topping the 50-point mark in helping the Ottawa Senators make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 NHL season.

With Giroux set to become an unrestricted free agent, let's take a look at some potential landing spots that could make sense for him should he reach the open market this summer.

Ottawa Senators

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The best possible landing spot for Giroux is the most obvious one.

And also the easiest.

Giroux makes his home in Ottawa year-round, already has a history with the team after spending the past three seasons there, and there is mutual interest in him returning for at least another season.

The Senators could use his veteran presence and scoring depth, and given his connection to the area and the team, there might even be a chance for a hometown discount. Or at least a below-market contract.

It just makes sense.

It's also the most likely outcome.

Philadelphia Flyers

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If things don't work out between Giroux and the Senators, how about a potential return to the city and team where he started his career and spent his best years?

That, of course, would be the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers took a big step backwards in the standings this season, but they are looking to bounce back and get closer to playoff contention in 2025-26.

While Giroux would not be the player he was at his peak in Philadelphia, they would not need him to be the focal point of the offense or the team.

Travis Konecny has that role now, and Matvei Michkov is going to take it over eventually.

But they still need more depth, more offense and more finishing ability throughout their lineup to get back closer to the playoffs and become a competitive team again.

Giroux alone would not be enough, but if they could convince him to come back, it would be a sensible reunion.

Montreal Canadiens

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Montreal would be an intriguing option for Giroux for a couple of reasons.

For one, it's only a couple of hours from Ottawa.

So even though it would require Giroux to move during the season, it is still relatively close to his home. It's perhaps as close as he could be without actually staying in Ottawa.

He might also be a good fit for a young Montreal team that took a massive leap forward this season and unexpectedly returned to the playoffs ahead of schedule.

The Canadiens have a great young core of talent led by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson that is going to be the foundation of the organization for the foreseeable future.

There are also some solid veterans around the roster to help complement that core, but they could still use a little more of a veteran presence and a little more scoring depth.

Giroux could provide both.

The Canadiens were only 17th in the NHL in goals scored this season, while only four players topped the 50-point mark that Giroux produced in Ottawa.

Toronto Maple Leafs

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This might largely depend on what happens in Toronto with Marner and Tavares.

But let's just say one of them ends up leaving. Or perhaps even both of them. Or even just Tavares.

That would leave a massive hole in their offense, without many big-time options to replace them on the open market.

Giroux could be a solid, cost-efficient replacement, and it would also give him an opportunity to play for a team that should be a Stanley Cup contender.

That could give him an opportunity to chase one of the few things his career is missing: a Stanley Cup ring.

Dallas Stars

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Speaking of Giroux maybe wanting to chase a Stanley Cup, going into the Western Conference could be an option. Specifically with the Dallas Stars.

Dallas is one of the best teams in the NHL and should continue to be a Cup contender next season. But it also has four pending unrestricted free agents among its forward group, including Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, Evgenii Dadonov and Matt Duchene.

Some of them might be back. Some might not be.

There could be some openings on the roster for a veteran forward in the type of secondary role Giroux is probably best suited for at this stage of his career.