The 34-year-old veteran forward who grew up in Orléans and makes his off-season home here signed a three-year, $19.5 million deal
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Claude Giroux is coming home to try to win a Stanley Cup.
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The Ottawa Senators scored a big win in free agency Wednesday by signing the 34-year-old veteran forward—who grew up in Orléans and makes his off-season home here—to a three-year, $19.5 million deal not long after the market opened.
Trying to help this team push for a playoff spot next season, Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion and the club’s hockey operations staff were thrilled to get Giroux to sign on the dotted line so he can help this group to the next level.
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“You look at the Ottawa Senators right now and it’s very exciting. They’ve got a lot of talent with guys who like to work hard and compete,” Giroux told TSN. “I just like the character of the team and I’l fit right in with them.
“I wouldn’t sign here if I didn’t think we had the chance to win the Cup.”
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While there had been speculation other teams would make a push for Giroux, nobody had the lure of coming home and being with a strong group of young players like Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, Tim Stuetzle, Thomas Chabot, Alex Formenton and Jake Sanderson that this group can provide.
Coach D.J. Smith, heading into his fourth season behind the bench, is thrilled with this acquisition of Giroux because it gives him options up front. The expectation is he’ll play on a line with Stuetzle and newly-acquired two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat.
A first-round draft pick (No. 22 overall) of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006, Giroux suited up for 1,000 games with the club before being dealt to the Florida Panthers at March trade deadline. He has 294 goals, 629 assists and 923 points in 1,018 games.
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He also has 95 games of playoff experience with 23 goals and 81 points. He had three goals and eight points in 10 playoff games with the Panthers in the spring.
He’s one of the best players in the faceoff circle in the NHL. He finished last season ranked 13th in the NHL with a 60.3 per cent winning percentage. By comparison, Boston’s Patrice Bergeron was No. 1 at 61.9.
Part of Giroux’ role will be working with the likes of Shane Pinto, Mark Kastelic, Norris and Stuetzle on helping them improve at taking draws.
“A chance to play at home was very exciting,” Giroux said. “Last year when we got the chance to play agains them that’s when you knew what kind fo team they are. They’re a hard team to play, they’re well-coached. When the idea was to come home and play for the Senators I didn’t look back after that.”
More to come…
Twitter: @sungarrioch
