Senators keeping the door open for Claude Giroux, while veteran explores market

Claude Giroux of the Ottawa Senators waits for the faceoff during a game against the Buffalo Sabres. Photo by KEVIN HOFFMAN /GETTY IMAGES

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It will be up to Claude Giroux to decide if there is no place like home.

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The veteran winger told the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday he was going to test the National Hockey League’s unrestricted free agent market on Wednesday when it opened at noon, but the day ended with the 38-year-old unsigned.

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Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, told reporters that the Senators had offered Giroux an extension as early as the NHL’s trade deadline in March, but he wanted to look around before deciding if he wanted to test the market.

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The belief was the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs were among the teams that may have shown interest in Giroux on the first day of free agency. Given his age, it was no surprise that he wasn’t a Day One signing.

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But Staios insisted that if Giroux wants to come back, the Senators would be happy to have him. He said he backed off some players on the market because the organization owes it to Giroux to give him some time to make a decision on where he wants to continue his career.

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“We want him back”

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“We’ve stated how much we want him back. We’ve been unwavering in our message to him, offered him a contract as far back as before the trade deadline, and he wanted to take a look around in free agency, but hasn’t closed the door to come back to Ottawa,” Staios said.

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“I mean, for us, there’s also a reason why I’m not active today. Obviously, that spot is reserved for him, and I’m eagerly anticipating, waiting to have a conversation with him.”

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The 38-year-old Giroux, who has spent the past four years with the Senators after signing as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2022, took time to ponder his future after the club’s disappointing playoff performance, but he’s hungry for more.

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He is the best free agent signing this organization has made since returning to the league in the 1992-93 campaign.

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It would make sense for Giroux to sign a deal similar to the one he played with last year. He agreed to a one-year contract with a base salary of $2 million US, offering up to $2.75 million in incentives for games played and team success in the post-season.

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Giroux earned an extra $1 million in bonus money last season by suiting up for 60 games and helping the club to make the playoffs for the second straight year.

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That offer may be on the table, but Giroux wanted to look around.

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Those who know Giroux wonder if he might see a better opportunity to win elsewhere. He gave serious thought to retirement before he determined he would play again this year. He stated publicly that he desired to stay with the Senators, but something changed here in the last couple of months.

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The Senators have made several changes since they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes. If this really is Giroux’s final season in the league, then maybe he wants to go somewhere where he feels he has a better opportunity to win a Stanley Cup.