Claude Giroux
I use the term “star” loosely when I refer to Claude Giroux. Is the Hearst, Ontario native what he used to be? No. Giroux isn’t the 100-point producer he was a long time ago. You’d be getting good value for him if he produces at a point per game rate or above. However, there’s a lot Giroux can offer a team that most of this free-agent class cannot. His intangibles resume is very strong compared to the rest of this group.
Giroux served as the Philadelphia Flyers’ captain for 9 years. He gave everything he had to that organization for almost a decade and didn’t want to leave so he was shipped off to Florida. Florida now does not have the immediate cap space to sign him so he could be a good fit for a team that needs forward help. Ring a bell? If the Carolina Hurricanes can get the Gatineau Olympiques alumnus, he’d make the team better.
Giroux is a right-shot forward capable of playing both right-wing and center but has mainly been a winger throughout his storied career in the city of Brotherly Love. His 1000 games for the Philadelphia Flyers accompany his 900 points for the organization. A loyal servant and a talented player could be a good addition to the roster if the Hurricanes are serious about amending their scoring woes.
We know Giroux can produce under pressure at big moments on the biggest stage, as he has done with the Flyers organization time and again. He offers experience from a reverse sweep, a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and a long time as a captain. If you can get this kind of player for $6 million against the cap over three years or so, that is a deal well worth it. It’s not a exactly a make or break signing, but it could be a great addition.