Claude Giroux’s next stop has become a moving target, and Toronto has now pushed its way into the conversation.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported that the Maple Leafs have spoken with Giroux’s camp and remain “keenly interested.” At the same time, Garrioch said the Edmonton Oilers are no longer involved after making a pitch. Elliotte Friedman also appeared to back up the idea that Edmonton is out, with a possible pivot to Vladimir Tarasenko.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs have also spoken with Giroux’s camp and remain keenly interested, while the Edmonton Oilers made a pitch, but well-respected Sportsnet columnist Mark Spector says they’re no longer involved,” Garrioch wrote.
That leaves a four-team picture, at least for the moment. Toronto, Philadelphia and Ottawa are still in the mix, while Edmonton has stepped back. It’s been that kind of market for more than a week, with the reports around Giroux changing almost daily.
Ottawa remains a real option because the fit is obvious: if Giroux wants to play at home, that’s where he can go. Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, said on July 1 that the Senators have an offer on the table and the door is still open for a return.
“The Flyers and Senators are both in the mix. Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, stated on July 1 that the Senators have an offer on the table to bring Giroux back and the door remains wide open for his return.”
Philadelphia had been viewed as the front-runner just days ago, with a Flyers source telling The Athletic the club expected Giroux to sign a one-year deal to come home. That situation, though, is likely on hold until the Leo Carlsson offer sheet situation gets sorted out.
Toronto’s entry changes the feel of the race. The Maple Leafs have been busy reshaping things under new GM John Chayka, and they’ve shown they’re willing to make aggressive moves. Giroux, a proven faceoff man, would fit neatly into that approach.
He led the NHL in faceoff percentage this past season at 61.5% and still put up 49 points at age 38. For a team trying to deepen its bottom six, that kind of production and reliability has obvious appeal. A low-cost, bonus-heavy deal would make sense.
So the choices are all there for Giroux: stay home in Ottawa, return to Philadelphia, join two of the league’s best players in Edmonton, or land in the center of the hockey world in Toronto.
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