Claude Giroux is not a guy who you tell "You aren't playing in the game," but last night, the Flyers headed up to Ottawa, where Giroux once played across the street (river) in Gatineau...and G wasn't allowed to come. His friends who had tickets probably sold them...
The Flyers of course are trying to trade Giroux and are very afraid of injury...so he sat home in Philly "Celebrating" the 1,000 times they allowed him to play. And you know he is not loving this.
The Flyers are sticking to their guns and trying to get a strong return for a player who you would think they could get a strong return for. The only thing is Giroux calls the shots as to where he gets traded to and he wants to stay in the East and play a key role on a team that has a legit shot at a Stanley Cup.
Boston and the Rangers are out because....well because Giroux is a Flyer at heart. Tampa and Toronto can't make it happen and he would be relegated to third line duty.
The best team in the East right now has a wide open lane to a top kine spot next to Aleksander Barkov...Finland's answer to Sean Couturier....is the Florida Panthers...and the Panther want Giroux badly...
The Flyers would love to have more teams to talk to but again... Giroux is a family guy and wants to stay east. Anyone who knows G knows he is a pure competitor and loyal beyond belief...but this is his right to dictate and honestly the return for Giroux needs to be understood in that frame.
The Flyers have to do right by their franchise and continue to get better, but they also have to do right by Giroux to continue and find him a home that suits his needs. This stuff matters and players around the league are watching...up until now Philly was always a destination city for star players...Ed Snider made this a hockey city worth going to.
There are many ways to get better as a Franchise. It is not Claude's responsibility to be the way that happens. He is not the reason the Flyers are where they are right now. He has been all-in every day and deserves the kind of treatment that players of his rarified air deserve. He has earned that.
When Scott Niedermayer came to Lou Lamoriello in NJ and said he wanted to go play with his brother in Anaheim, Lou made it happen. Encouraged it even. The Devils under Lou had success because he ran it like a family. The Flyers are known for the same qualities. And moments like this one dictate the future of these reputations.
Flyers fans are going to hate this trade. Fletcher can't get fair market. Its not his fault. Giroux wasn't signed so that one day they could get a great return in a trade.
No matter what return the Flyers get for Giroux it has to be understood the situation Fletcher is in here. There are other ways to fix the Flyers. The Giroux trade won't be able to do it all. They will get some quality players and picks from Florida. I am sure. And it can't be understated here that however they fill Giroux's 8+ million cap space is also an asset they got in this trade.
And along those lines, Florida can’t be pigs here. Bill Zito is still a new GM and its important to other GMs that he helps Chuck out here, because he knows Chuck is in a pickle and needs to sell this trade to the Flyers universe…That is also important..
Both Bill and Chuck are highly respected and good people…so I do see a deal getting struck.
I hope this gets resolved sooner than later..the longer it lingers the worse it is for Giroux.