Day One of NHL Free Agency is more or less in the books, and Claude Giroux remains a free agent.
This morning, Pierre LeBrun reported that there could be a reunion in Philadelphia as the Flyers were expected to be among the teams trying to sign Giroux in free agency.
Giroux took some time after the season to mull over his future before deciding to come back and play another season. However, that won’t necessarily be in Ottawa. While the Senators remain hopeful that they can come to terms with Giroux, the former Flyer has plenty of suitors this summer.
The Flyers were among a handful of teams to show interest in Giroux on Wednesday, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reported. The Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and Toronto Maple Leafs also showed interest in the 38-year-old veteran.
Flyers in the mix for Claude Giroux
General manager Danny Briere confirmed the Flyers’ interest in his former teammate during his free agency press conference on Wednesday evening.
“We’ve had some discussions, I can’t say much more than that,” he said. “We’re looking at everything. But at the moment, there’s nothing imminent.”
Pretty clear the Flyers are legitimately in contact with Giroux. He was asked who reached out first (the Flyers or Giroux) and Briere laughed and said he didn't know, he didn't remember.
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) July 1, 2026
Briere said the Flyers were likely done for the day, but kept the door open to making another move.
And with Giroux, it’s understandable that he may need a few extra hours or days to make his decision.
Giroux faces big decision in free agency
It’s a big decision for Giroux, who, of course, has never won a Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers were still finding their mojo in the playoffs when Giroux joined them in 2022. His only taste of the Stanley Cup Final was in 2010.
It was the Avalanche who won the Stanley Cup in 2022. That was also the team that Giroux considered joining at the trade deadline before ultimately deciding to head to Florida.
That choice has to weigh on Giroux’s mind. This could be his last chance at a Stanley Cup, and the Avalanche are once again one of the teams at the top of the league. Giroux could slot in nicely on Colorado’s third line, providing some depth while the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas lead the way up front.
Could Giroux pass up another chance to chase a Cup in Colorado?
If he does, the Maple Leafs and Canadiens both present interesting options.
Toronto is reloading quickly after drafting Gavin McKenna. Auston Matthews is still there for two more years, and the Maple Leafs have truly been aggressive — for better or worse — this offseason with the additions of Darren Raddysh and Sergei Bobrovsky, along with some forward depth.
Those additions, unlike the Flyers’ depth signings, might impact Giroux’s potential role in Toronto. Jack Roslovic, Nicholas Paul, and Dakota Joshua can all play on the third line. Then there are the likes of Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger. I’m sure the Leafs would make it work if Giroux wanted to go there, but maybe there’s less of an appetite now.
As for the Canadiens, they just made the Eastern Conference Final, and I have to think most Canadian players dream of playing in Montreal one day.
Giroux would provide a solid veteran presence for a Canadiens team that is ready to burst into its prime. They were rather quiet externally on Day One of free agency. Internally, they locked up Ivan Demidov to a long-term extension.
You could almost see Giroux possibly playing on the second line for the Canadiens. Is he looking for a bigger role on an up-and-coming team?
Then you have the Flyers.
Giroux’s first team, and the city that he thought for a long time he’d spend his entire career in. Does he want to finish it here anyway?
The Flyers also overachieved last year, winning a playoff round for the first time since Giroux left. It’s funny that they came up one round shorter than the Canadiens because you can look at Montreal and see the path for the Flyers. The Habs are coming out of the rebuild and they’re doing just fine.
Philadelphia also has a clear need for Giroux. The Flyers were dominated in the dot in the playoffs, and even made Luke Glendening a key role player simply because he was right-handed and could win faceoffs.
Giroux could replace that role and then some, more than likely slotting in on the third line, while also bringing a huge improvement to the power play.
So, no, if the Flyers do bring back Giroux, it’s not just because he played here before. It certainly helps, but there is a role for him as well.
We’ll see what happens and where Giroux decides to sign. It’s going to be a big one for him in what could quite possibly be his final NHL season.
