Senators' Claude Giroux on the Verge of Free Agency

The Ottawa Senators have been among the most active teams in the early part of the offseason. They extended key middle-six winger Fabian Zetterlund, avoiding a potential offer sheet scenarios. They also signed defenseman Tyler Kleven and Nikolas Matinpalo to new deals and now sit with roughly $10 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.

One of the most important Senators players remains without a contract, however. Alternate captain Claude Giroux has not signed a new deal with Ottawa, and with just over a week until July 1, the veteran forward is on the verge of testing free agency. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen has been keeping close tabs on the situation, and his latest updates are far from encouraging.

"With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux," he wrote. "The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he’ll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest."

Giroux is coming off his third season with his hometown team, and he's been an incredible addition to the rising Senators' lineup. Playing in all but one regular season game over the past three seasons, he's surpassed 50 points in each season with the Sens. His first season in Ottawa, he put up a staggering 35 goals and 79 points and followed that up with 64 points the following year. During the 2024-2025 campaign, he regressed offensively, registering 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games.

Still, the 37-year-old forward is a valuable player in the NHL. He was crucial for Ottawa as they ended a major postseason drought and pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to six games in their opening round series. In the series, Giroux displayed his wisdom and ability to elevate in the big moments, scoring one goal and adding four assists in six games.

If Giroux does hit free agency, expect many suitors for the veteran of 1,263 NHL games. In addition to the Canadiens, as Garrioch suggested, the Philadelphia Flyers immediately come to mind as a landing spot. Giroux was drafted by the Flyers and captained the team between 2013 and 2022.