NHL Free Agency: Top 3 Landing Spots For Claude Giroux
After three seasons with the Ottawa Senators—and their first playoff appearance since 2017—Giroux has made it clear he enjoyed the ride, calling it “the most fun I’ve had in a few years.” Now, according to Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz, the veteran forward has three logical landing spots: staying in Ottawa, returning to Philadelphia, or joining the up-and-coming Montreal Canadiens.
1. Ottawa Senators
The most obvious—and likely—option is simply staying put. Giroux lives year-round in Ottawa, played well in a leadership role (50 points and solid penalty kill time), and helped the Sens take a step forward. General manager Steve Staios confirmed there’s mutual interest, saying, “We love [Giroux], we want to have him back.” With a projected $18.4 million in cap space and Giroux reportedly open to a one-year deal around $3 million, the fit remains perfect—if Ottawa also adds more scoring and a right-shot defenseman to deepen the roster.
2. Philadelphia Flyers
If things don’t work out in Ottawa, a return to Giroux’s original NHL home makes plenty of sense. The Flyers are rebuilding but looking to stay competitive, and a reunion could inject much-needed scoring depth and veteran presence. With Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov emerging as the faces of the future, Giroux wouldn’t need to carry the load—just provide timely offense and leadership where it counts.
Claude Giroux you're a Philly legend pic.twitter.com/1Rp4QqdmI2
— gritty’s burner (@letsgoflyairs) May 5, 2025
3. Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is close to home, stocked with promising young stars like Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, and just made a surprising return to the playoffs. They finished middle-of-the-pack in scoring and could use a boost in veteran experience and offensive depth—two things Giroux can still offer. For a team on the rise, adding someone who’s been there before could be the right move at the right time.
If the Senators can’t lock him in soon, expect the Flyers or Canadiens to make a serious run at him.
CLAUDE GIROUX SCORES HIS FIRST PLAYOFF GOAL WITH THE OTTAWA SENATORS
— Nasty Knuckles (@NastyKnuckles) April 25, 2025
pic.twitter.com/gKjXaVXoyF
Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
