Key Takeaways:
- The Ottawa Senators’ signing of star player Claude Giroux ranks among team history’s most significant free agent signings.
- Giroux did, however, add that he believes the Senators are on the right track. The squad hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017.
One of the most notable free agent acquisitions in the team’s history was the acquisition of star forward Claude Giroux by the Ottawa Senators.
Giroux, 34, joined the Senators on a three-year, $19.5 million deal on Wednesday, the first day of the NHL free agency era.
Giroux, who attended high school and spent summers in Ottawa, told TSN that he is looking forward to playing at home.
Giroux stated, “I didn’t look back once the intention was to come back home and play for the Sens. “This young band is incredibly exciting. Many talented men enjoy working hard and competing.
I simply appreciate the team’s character and believe I will get along well with them.
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Until this past season, when he was sold to the Florida Panthers at the NHL trade deadline, the seven-time NHL all-star had played his entire career with the Philadelphia Flyers.
In 18 regular-season games for the Panthers, he scored 23 points, and in 10 postseason contests, he scored eight points. Giroux has 923 points over 1,018 NHL games in his career and has been the Flyers’ top scorer eight times. The native of Hearst, Ontario, held the position for ten years, making him the captain with the longest tenure in the team’s history.
According to a press release from Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, “We’re happy to add a player of Claude’s caliber to our roster.” “He’s a player who maintains a great work ethic and is an outstanding offensive talent with exceptional face-off skills. Possibly one of his most vital qualities is his ability to lead.
We are thrilled to have Claude and his family return to Ottawa.
For Giroux, the deal represents a sort of homecoming. In addition to playing minor hockey in Cumberland and junior hockey with the Gatineau Olympiques, where he was named the league’s rookie of the year, he attended high school at Beatrice-Desloges high school in Orleans.
However, Giroux added that he thinks the Senators are headed for success. Since 2017, the team has failed to reach the playoffs.
If I didn’t believe we had a chance to win the Cup, I wouldn’t have signed here, Giroux remarked. “You need to establish an identity and build on that one successful season. … Although I don’t think we’ll win the Cup this year, the strategy is to make it and take small steps.
The deal is maybe the team’s biggest since winger Bobby Ryan signed a seven-year, $50 million extension in 2014 after being acquired through trade the year before.
General Manager Pierre Dorion has had a busy week. This is the most recent action.
Tuesday saw the Senators trade Filip Gustavsson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for veteran Cam Talbot.
They only kept 25% of goaltender Matt Murray’s contract when they sold him to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, along with two draught picks.
The Senators also traded draught picks for forwarding Alex DeBrincat, a two-time 40-goal scorer and the best forward available on the trade market, prior to last week’s NHL draught.
Source: CTV News
