Predicting Claude Giroux’s Next Contract With the Senators

The Ottawa Senators’ upcoming offseason is an integral one. They’ll have a projected $17 million in cap space and a few key areas of their roster to address if they hope to reach the playoffs once again. Ideally, they’d like to go out and improve the depth up front and on the blue line as well as sort out their restricted free agents (RFAs) in Tyler Kleven and Fabian Zetterlund.

Perhaps the biggest question mark regarding this offseason, though, is the status of Claude Giroux and whether he’ll return to the team. Three years ago, Giroux chose to return home and take a chance on a young and upcoming team. Both sides embraced each other, and he has served as a savvy veteran leader for the young core since.

But now, circumstances have changed. Giroux is 37 years old, and as with any player his age, questions arise as to how much he has left in the tank. While he feels he does and definitely has the desire to continue playing, it will be up to the Senators to determine if that really is the case and if they should bring him back into the fold. And if so, for how much?

Giroux’s Senators Tenure

Giroux has played 245 games as a member of the Senators, scoring 71 goals and putting up 193 points. He’s proved to be incredibly durable as well, only missing one game in these last three seasons. He was also trusted a lot by head coach Travis Green, as he averaged more than 19 minutes of ice time and was among the best in the league on faceoffs all season, operating at over 60 percent.

Giroux played an incredibly important role from a leadership standpoint. His presence on ice and in the room has proved to be beneficial for Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, helping them both to become more responsible defensive players.

However, his point production did slow down this season, as he had his lowest points-per-game season since 2009-10 and at times was demoted down to the third line. He’s also not the fleetest of foot, which is not an aspect of one’s game that typically improves with age. 

Giroux tries to offset that as much as possible through his work in the offseason with trainer Tony Greco, so work ethic is certainly not an issue. While it’s clear that he can contribute and is still effective, he is definitely going to have to make at least a bit of a financial sacrifice if he wants to return.

How Giroux’s Contract Affects Senators’ Approach

As mentioned before, the Senators will have over $17 million in cap space to operate with, but will still need to lock down Kleven and Zetterlund in addition to addressing depth up front, on the blue line and at the backup goalie position. The decision on Giroux will have an effect on their flexibility for this offseason.

Their ability to make a significant addition via free agency or trade could take a hit, but it would clarify that the need would be to add a legitimate top-four right-shot defenceman. However, if things don’t work out between the two sides, the priority would lean towards acquiring another top-six forward, which is a lot easier said than done and may result in an overpay given this year’s market.