Free agency isn’t usually a busy time in the Nation’s Capital.
As a team with a limited budget in a small-market Canadian city, the Ottawa Senators have historically been pretty quiet on the open market. They aren’t going to win many bidding wars and it’s not often that they sit at the top of someone’s list of preferred destinations.
And yet when free agency opens this summer, on July 13th for some reason, all eyes will be on Pierre Dorion. Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration but there’s a chance the Sens could make a bit of a splash this time around.
It’s no secret that the Senators have a couple holes to fill. While the Front Office has a done an admirable job of stockpiling young talent and been patient while that young core develops, they’re now hitting a different stage of the rebuild. It’s that point when you need to proactively surround those core pieces with legitimate NHL talent. Again, easier said than done with limited dollars to spend but it seems like they’re ready to give it a try.
It will probably sound familiar but at the top of Dorion’s off-season shopping list is that elusive top six forward. Every team wants more of them and nobody wants to give them away. And that’s why free agency is often your best bet.
Enter Claude Giroux.
The now 34-year old forward is coming off a productive season split between Philadelphia and Florida. And while he fell short in his pursuit of a Stanley Cup, he’s now set to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this summer.
The connections to Ottawa are obvious. He played his Junior hockey here, he has a home in the area, he has family nearby and the word on the street is he’s extremely interested in an opportunity to pull on the sweater of his hometown team.
It’s sort of rare that the stars align for Ottawa in free agency but it does sort of feel that way when it comes to Giroux. And by all accounts, the interest is mutual. Giroux is exactly the type of quality veteran you want to bring in as a team looking to take that next step and he’s definitely on Ottawa’s radar this summer.
Rumours like this have a tendency to take on a life of their own but the speculation around Giroux and Ottawa has been there for months. In late March, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that there was talk that Giroux was actively “looking into” Ottawa. In the words of Friedman, Ottawa has a “legitimate shot”.
This wasn’t the first time Friedman raised the possibility either with hints dating all the way back to November of last year. It’s rare you get this kind of sustained speculation but in this instance, it’s because everyone knows there is a legitimate and mutual interest. It’s just a fact.
Recently, a Flyers beat writer went as far as to suggest Ottawa was the favourite to land the former-Flyers star.
All good signs obviously but Giroux is going to have options this summer.
He put up 65 points in 75 games with the Flyers and Panthers this past season, including 23 points in 18 games post-deadline with the Florida. He added another 8 points in 10 playoff games.
Giroux won’t come cheap though. It’s not out of the question that he gets as much as $6 million a season on a multi-year deal, potentially in the three-year range. At the same time, he’s going to want to see an obvious plan to field a competitive team. It’s no secret that Giroux would love another chance at a Stanley Cup so he’ll want to know that’s a possibility before his career comes to an end.
Ultimately, that’s going to be a key part of the discussions this summer. Does Giroux see a contender-in-the-making here in Ottawa? And at the same time, can the Senators continue to add pieces to this talented group and take that next step in the rebuild?
Bringing in a player like Claude Giroux would be another huge step in the right direction for a team clearly trending upward.
Do you see a fit between Giroux and the Senators? What would you be willing to pay in free agency? Are there other players you would target first?
Much to discuss over the next…43 days?!
