The Flyers may have missed out on John Carlson, but they’re still working the market for help, and Claude Giroux is very much on their radar.
Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports reported that Flyers general manager Daniel Brière told the media yesterday the team has had discussions with Giroux. That’s a name Philadelphia fans know well.
Giroux spent 15 years with the Flyers, serving as captain and piling up 291 goals and 900 points in 1,000 games. He was also part of the club’s most recent trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.
At 38, Giroux is still bringing value down the middle. He has hovered near a 60.0% faceoff rate over his time with the Ottawa Senators, which keeps him firmly in the conversation as one of the better remaining unrestricted free agents. If Trevor Zegras is willing to shift back to the wing, Giroux could fit as a strong option for Philadelphia’s middle six, nostalgia aside.
The Islanders are also in the mix on another veteran name. Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported that New York is among several teams that have shown interest in Patrik Laine.
The fit makes some sense if Laine can stay healthy, though that has been the challenge. He also wouldn’t command a huge price, and his power-play ability could help a New York unit that finished 30th in the league last season.
The catch is that Laine has not provided much at even strength, so the boost would be limited there.
Rosner also offered an update on the Islanders’ first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Defenseman Malte Gustafsson, taken 13th overall, is planning to come to North America after the 2026-27 campaign. For now, he is set to play for HV71 in the SHL next season, where he recorded three assists in 27 games with a -8 rating last year.
In Other News...
Islanders Just Lost A Depth Scorer Who Never Got His Chance
Adam Beckmans run in the Islanders organization ended with plenty of AHL production and very little NHL opportunity. The 25-year-old forward was brought in from the Devils in March 2025 and quickly became one of the more productive players at Bridgeport, leading the team in both goals and points last season while trying to work his way into a depth role on Long Island.
Instead, Beckman moved on in free agency after getting only limited NHL experience and never receiving the call-up many around the team thought might come. For an Islanders group that has leaned on organizational depth at various points, losing a player who had shown he could score in the minors but never got his chance is the sort of move that can be easy to overlook now and harder to replace later. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Fans Just Got Hit With A Brutal Anders Lee Twist
For Islanders fans, the offseason picture got a little more complicated when Anders Lee moved on after a long run as one of the faces of the franchise. Drafted by New York and later elevated to captain in 2018, Lee became part of the teams core identity through the stretch that included back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021. His departure closes a significant chapter for a club that has leaned on his leadership and goal-scoring presence for years.
The wrinkle is that Lee did not simply walk away from New York and fade into the background. He landed with the Utah Mammoth on a three-year deal, giving him a new home while leaving Islanders followers to process what his exit means for the roster and the leadership structure moving forward. It is the kind of move that can linger beyond the transaction itself, especially when it involves a player so closely tied to the teams recent identity. [Read more 🡒]