It appears Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux has come to terms with the idea of being traded this season and he’s let the Flyers know there are three teams he’d be willing to accept a trade to. With total control over his situation thanks to a full no-move clause, Giroux is open to moving, as long as the Flyers can get him to either the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild or St. Louis Blues.
That Giroux would be open to going to the Avalanche is no surprise. They are the team he’s been closely connected to in trade talks for weeks now. In fact, according to an Adrian Dater tweet on Monday, Giroux informed the Flyers that the top spot for him to go would be Colorado. They’re also quite interested, even though their salary cap situation makes adding him difficult.
If the Avs can’t get a deal worked out or maneuver in a way to have the salary cap make sense, Giroux has also told the Flyers the Wild and Blues would acceptable landing spots.
What the asking price for Giroux will be is still unclear, even though it will absolutely include a first-round pick. There is the “rental” aspect of the trade as Giroux is likely only going to be a short-term addition for a team, but players of his leadership ability and talent do not come around the trade market very often. He’s easily among the biggest names available and will be the best “rental” out there this season. The price will be steep to land a player like him and any team acquiring him will be giving up a lot, plus juggling their lineup to make room on their salary cap.
If it’s the Avs, a first-rounder with Alex Newhook in the conversation is probably where things start.
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