B/R NHL Staff Roundtable: Where Should Claude Giroux Be Traded?

Claude Giroux's tenure in the City of Brotherly Love could be coming to an end.

In the final year of the eight-year, $66 million contract he signed in 2013, the 34-year-old forward finds himself in limbo, with the Philadelphia Flyers sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Giroux has a no-move clause and can dictate where he wants to be traded to Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher.

Despite being in his mid-30s, Giroux is capable of playing at a high level for a playoff contender. He's second on the Flyers in total points scored with 35 in 42 games. His 2022 NHL All-Star Game MVP award reiterates the fact that he can still play with high-level talent and carry some of the scoring burden for a team with Stanley Cup dreams.

Would the Flyers captain be a great fit in Colorado? Could he land in Boston? Or—perish the thought for Flyers fans—could he wind up on Broadway with the rival Rangers?

The B/R NHL staff got together and pondered the best places for Giroux to be traded.

Disagree with our takes? Leave your comments to sound off!

At first blush, the Minnesota Wild and Claude Giroux don't appear to be a worthwhile fit. The Wild don't seem like an obvious Stanley Cup contender, and the Flyers captain could have other destinations in mind should he decide to waive his no-movement clause.

The Wild, however, could prove to be a rewarding option for Giroux.

For starters, they've got the third-most points (59) among Western Conference clubs, while their .720 win percentage is the second-best. On Feb. 3, the Pioneer Press' Dane Mizutani pointed out they have a franchise-record 28 wins through their first 41 games.

The Wild appear poised for a strong second half. They have one of the league's best one-two scoring punches in Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello and possess a solid defense corps anchored by Jared Spurgeon, Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. They also have a proven playoff goalie in Cam Talbot, and they're well-coached by bench boss Dean Evason.

What's lacking, however, is experienced depth at center. Joel Eriksson Ek has emerged as a reliable two-way player, but first-liner Ryan Hartman is a converted winger. Even if they want to keep those two in their positions, they could use a center with postseason knowledge and leadership ability.

Giroux's two-way skills could be an excellent fit with the Wild, especially in the faceoff circle, where they're 22nd overall. His ability to play all three forward positions would also provide them with invaluable flexibility should injuries strike among their top-nine forwards.

CapFriendly shows the Wild have $7.9 million in trade deadline cap space. That's more than enough to pick up the remainder of Giroux's $8.3 million cap hit for this season.

If the asking price is reasonable, such as a first-round pick and a prospect, Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin should consider it. Giroux could prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle who pushes his club into Stanley Cup contention this season.

Giroux could also find playing in The State of Hockey to be an enjoyable experience. Minnesota fans are knowledgeable about the game and passionate about the Wild. He'd be welcomed with open arms if he were to adjust well to his new team and help it stage a deep playoff run, especially if it ended in a championship.

—Lyle Richardson

They're the questions every veteran-laden team asks.

Is our championship window still open? And if so, for how much longer?

It's certainly no different for the Boston Bruins.

The residents of TD Garden have won at least one playoff series in each of the past four seasons and reached the tournament in eight of the past 10—including runs to the Stanley Cup Final in both 2012-13 and 2018-19—since a title parade through the streets of Boston in 2011.

They were tied for 13th overall heading into Tuesday's games and were nine points up on their nearest pursuers in the chase for the second of two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.

On the surface, all is good. But a closer look reveals the cracks.

Three of the team's top four scorers are 30 or older—including two who are at least 33—which makes marshaling resources for a final postseason push a priority for a fanbase that doesn't take kindly to passive first-round exits.

That's where Giroux comes in.

Admittedly, the Flyers captain is no spring chicken himself at 34, but his 35 points in 42 games for a bad team—not to mention the All-Star MVP—indicate he's still performing at a high level.

Plugging him into the Boston depth chart would allow coach Bruce Cassidy to roll three lines with proven centers and instantly make 2017-18 league MVP Taylor Hall a more dangerous weapon on the left wing thanks to Giroux's vision, playmaking ability and faceoff dot alacrity.

The cadre of draft picks and players heading in Philadelphia's direction would surely be significant, but no more significant than the jolt a highly skilled and offensively gifted player would provide to a team that's arguably among the small handful with a legitimate shot to make a deep late springtime run.

Put it all together, and there's just one thing left to say (preferably in an '80s-era Ronald Reagan voice):

"Mister Sweeney, make that phone call."

—Lyle Fitzsimmons

The first word that comes to mind when contemplating the idea of Claude Giroux with the Colorado Avalanche is unfair.

Already sitting atop the Western Conference with two players among the top 10 NHL scoring leaders, adding Giroux to the mix would give the Avs' dynamic offense additional firepower.

Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri have been remarkably dynamic down the middle for this team all season long and would already be tough for an opponent to handle across a potential seven-game playoff series.

Adding the 34-year-old veteran would give head coach Jared Bednar a lethal one-two-three punch at center, no matter how he decided to trot them out. Maybe Colorado isn't overly keen on trading high-end prospects and picks for a third-line pivot, but Giroux would undoubtedly move the needle in Colorado's quest to win the Stanley Cup.

Giroux could take over center duties on the third unit or play on the wing on the second line. Bumping Valeri Nichushkin from a position where he's had success might not be the wisest of moves, but it's important to have options during the playoffs.

Especially with COVID-19 protocols forcing players in and out of the lineup, there are worse ideas than having another forward who can play center or wing in the top six. Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon can also play either position, and just imagine all the curveballs and different looks Bednar could throw at an opposing team on a nightly basis with so much flexibility.

Adding Giroux would also insulate the Avalanche against any kind of regression from Kadri. There's no denying that he's been spectacular this season, but there's also no denying that he's been playing way above his previously established ceiling.

He's on pace for 112 points, and his previous career high was 61 in 2016-17. Maybe Kadri keeps up this tear all the way through the postseason, but if he comes back down to earth, it would tarnish Colorado's Stanley Cup hopes much more than if Giroux were there to step in.

Giroux is also great in the faceoff circle—he's ranked third in the league in win percentage this year (60.7)—which is an area where the Avalanche struggle. They have the fourth-worst team faceoff win percentage in the NHL (47.2), per StatMuse.

As long as the cost is reasonable, Colorado should strongly consider pursuing Giroux in the name of winning the Stanley Cup this season.

—Franklin Steele

I'm so sorry for what I'm about to say, Flyers fans. You won't like this. But it's nothing personal; just business.

Claude Giroux should go to the New York Rangers.

The Rangers are coming out of their rebuilding phase in a big way. They're second in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Divison and tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. After years of taking their lumps, the Blueshirts finally have the talent in place to contend.

They have a top coach in Gerard Gallant, a Vezina-caliber goalie in Igor Shesterkin, some top young talent on the blue line in K'Andre Miller and Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, and high-end forward talent like NHL scoring leader Chris Kreider, his longtime linemate Mika Zibanejad and winger Artemi Panarin. Ryan Strome is having a breakout season on both ends of the ice.

But there is quite a gap in production at the forward position. Giroux would infuse the lineup with more elite talent.

Giroux brings some versatility with the ability to play center or wing. At 34, he isn't playing a lot at center anymore, but he's certainly capable of it, and a team can never have too much depth up the middle during a long playoff run. He can also play on either wing.

That these are two Metropolitan Division foes shouldn't be a reason for pause.

Trades within the division aren't that uncommon in the NHL. Remember, the Rangers did get Fox in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes. Fans might not like it when two geographic rivals swap players, but in 2018, the Rangers sent Michael Grabner over the Hudson to the New Jersey Devils to aid their playoff run, receiving Yegor Rykov and a second-round pick in the 2018 draft.

The argument that a team doesn't want to help a rival because it might hurt it in the future is valid, but not in this case since Giroux would likely only be a rental for the Rangers.

The team has significant money committed to future contracts. Big extensions for Zibanejad and Fox kick in next season, and a more moderate one for Ryan Reaves does as well. Plus, goalie Alexandar Georgiev, forwards Kaapo Kakko and Sammy Blais and defenseman Libor Hajek will be due raises as restricted free agents. Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil are the most notable players who will need raises following the 2022-23 season.

It's a chance for a veteran to chase a title on a talented team with a top coach and an opportunity for the Flyers to gain some draft capital or maybe a high-end prospect who could kick-start the rebuild.

—Abbey Mastracco