Claude Giroux’s next move may still be tied to Philadelphia, and the wait could be about more than just his own decision.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported that there were Friday reports linking the UFA forward back to the Flyers, where he spent 15 seasons and appeared in more than 1,000 games. Sources told Garrioch that Giroux still hadn’t made up his mind, but a return to Philadelphia remained a real possibility.
The league buzz points in that direction, though there’s a wrinkle: the Flyers may be holding off while the Leo Carlsson offer sheet situation plays out. Philadelphia had $30 million in cap space, but it also has business to handle with RFAs Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.
Giroux has drawn interest elsewhere, too. The Toronto Maple Leafs checked in, and the Edmonton Oilers made a pitch before Sportsnet’s Mark Spector said Edmonton is no longer in the mix. The Ottawa Senators are still involved.
If Giroux does land in Ottawa, the Senators could be looking at something close to the deal he played on last season: one year at a $2 million salary, with as much as $2.75 million in incentives tied to games played and playoff success. He finished with $1 million in bonuses.
Elsewhere in the rumor mill, Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars are headed to arbitration.
The Fourth Period also put together its offseason trade watch list, ranking the players most likely to move and the teams linked to them. At the top is Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings, with Vegas, Florida, Minnesota, San Jose, Dallas and New Jersey connected to him.
Robertson sits second, with Seattle, Ottawa, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago, Utah and San Jose listed as possible fits.
Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs comes in at No. 3, with San Jose, Anaheim, Seattle, Los Angeles and Philadelphia mentioned. Shane Wright of the Seattle Kraken is fourth, linked to Vancouver and Nashville.
The rest of the list runs through Jake DeBrusk of the Vancouver Canucks, Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes, Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Jack Quinn of the Buffalo Sabres, Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues.
The rankings continue with Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights, Morgan Frost of the Calgary Flames, Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, Yakov Trenin of the Minnesota Wild, Connor Zary of the Calgary Flames, Jared McCann of the Seattle Kraken, Danila Yurov of the Minnesota Wild, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens, Mason Lohrei of the Boston Bruins, Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Carolina Hurricanes, Alex DeBrincat of the Detroit Red Wings, Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens and Frank Vatrano of the Anaheim Ducks.
On the bubble list: Alexis Lafreniere of the New York Rangers, Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jonathan Marchessault of the Nashville Predators, Pavel Zacha of the Boston Bruins and Owen Tippett of the Philadelphia Flyers.
In Other News...
Flyers Nearly Landed The Franchise Scorer Fans Have Been Begging For
The Flyers have spent plenty of time trying to find the kind of elite scorer who can change the shape of a roster, and their front office has not been shy about swinging big when the opportunity looks right. That appetite showed up again in a recent report that Philadelphia was prepared to chase one of the leagues premier wingers if he ever became available, a pursuit that would have fit right into the organizations broader push to add top-end talent.
Instead, the market never opened the way the Flyers hoped, and the club moved on to another aggressive route by making an offer sheet to Leo Carlsson. It is another reminder that management, including assistant general manager Brent Flahr, is willing to be bold when it believes the payoff could be franchise-altering, even if the bigger prize slips away before the bidding ever really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Are Stuck In A Franchise Shaping Wait With Anaheim
The Flyers long summer wait with Anaheim has turned into one of those front-office storylines that hangs over the league longer than anyone expects. With media voices like Elliotte Friedman suggesting the contract could ripple well beyond one roster, the intrigue has only grown, and the latest bit of context is that Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov landed a bigger deal than many anticipated, a development that may matter more in Philadelphia than it does in Orange County.
There are still four days left for Anaheim to decide whether to match, which keeps the Flyers in limbo while the Ducks sort through their own business. Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras have already filed for arbitration, adding another layer of offseason pressure for Anaheim, and for the Flyers the whole situation remains tied to a franchise-defining outcome that could shape how aggressively they can keep pushing this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Matvei Michkov Looks Determined To Change The Flyers Conversation
Matvei Michkovs second season in Philadelphia was a reminder that even elite talent can get knocked off course when health and preparation are disrupted. An injury limited the way he could train last summer, and the result was a tougher year than the Flyers expected from a player who arrived with so much offensive promise.
This offseason, Michkov has gone back to work in Perm, Russia, leaning into weightlifting and on-ice sessions as he tries to reset for the year ahead. He is also slated to take part in the NHL-KHL Match of the Year charity game, another sign that he is staying active and pushing toward a cleaner, more complete preparation for the next Flyers season. [Read more 🡒]