Countdown to Free Agent Frenzy: Sens look to re-sign Giroux ASAP

While the Stanley Cup Final begins this week, the NHL's off-season has arrived for 30 teams who are preparing for the NHL Draft starting on June 27 and Free Agent Frenzy on July 1. TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

Time for talks with Giroux

The Ottawa Senators are expected to use the NHL draft combine to hold face-to-face discussions with Claude Giroux's agent Pat Brisson, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Garrioch notes the team is already believed to have held informal contract talks with Giroux, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. 

The 37-year-old centre scored 15 goals and posted 50 points in 81 games this season. He added one goal and five points in six playoff games after Ottawa reached the postseason for the first time since 2017. 

Giroux was in the final season of a three-year, $19.5 million deal, which carried a cap hit of $6.5 million. After surveying league executives, Garrioch writes "Giroux’s next deal should have a base salary in the $3 million range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5-to-$5 million."

According to league executives surveyed by Garrioch, the Montreal Canadiens would be among the interested suitors. 

Speaking at the team's end-of-season availabilities after the Senators were knocked out of the playoffs in six games by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Giroux affirmed his interest in staying in Ottawa.

"I love the players, the fans, the city. This year was the most fun I've had in a few years, coming to the rink was a lot of fun," he said.

General manager Steve Staios mentioned a mutual interest in bringing back the 18-year veteran at the end-of-season availabilities, but indicated the conversation wouldn't happen immediately.

"We love [Giroux], we want to have him back," Staios said after the team's season came to an end in April. "We touched on it briefly at the exit meetings and everything's still fresh right now. It still stings that we're [eliminated], but I will get to speaking to every single one of our players that are up for contract."

Giroux, who has 365 goals and 1,116 points in 1,263 career games split between the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers and Senators, noted at the end-of-season availabilities that he may be able to continue playing beyond the 2025-26 season.

"I feel like I have a lot left in the tank. It's going to be a big summer for me, and all my teammates too," Giroux said. "We had a little taste of it - playoff hockey - how it feels, how fun it is, and when you have that little taste you want to get back into it."

The Senators have $16.6 million in projected cap space this off-season with Giroux and goaltender Anton Forsberg headlining their pending unrestricted free agents. That list also includes forwards Nick Cousins, Matthew Highmore, Adam Gaudette and Hayden Hodgson, as well as defencemen Travis Hamonic and Dennis Gilbert. 

Forward Fabian Zetterlund and defencemen Tyler Kleven and Donovan Sebrango are pending restricted free agents. 

UPDATE: Kleven signed a two-year, $3.2 million contract extension on Monday. 

Benn planning to stay in Dallas

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn is entering the off-season as a pending unrestricted free agent, but he is not looking for a fresh start on July 1.

“I’m gonna go into the summer planning on playing next year and prepare like I do every summer,” Benn said Saturday as a the Stars held their locker room cleanout. “I don’t see myself going anywhere else. This is all I know, so hopefully we can get something figured out.” 

Benn is coming off an eight-year, $76 million contract that carried an average annual value of $9.5 million. With the Stars facing a cap crunch and Benn's output diminishing, his next deal could be significantly smaller on an annual basis.

The 35-year-old forward had 16 goals and 49 points in 80 games during the regular season before struggling mightily in the playoffs. He finished with just one goal and three points in 18 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time in the postseason.

Despite his personal struggles, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer praised Benn's ability to keep his focus on the team's success.

“I can’t do enough service to tell you how he led even though, personally, his own game wasn’t in a great place,” DeBoer said. “He wasn’t playing a lot. He was in a totally different role than he’s ever been in in his career. It never affected his leadership. 

“I think the true test of character is when things aren’t going your way, but you can still find that inner strength in order to lead and message the right things, even though inside your own personal space is not in a good space. That’s the ultimate testament to his character and captaincy.” 

The Stars exited the playoffs in the Western Conference Final for the third straight season and enter the off-season with just $4.95 million in cap space. Benn, Matt Duchene, Evegenii Dadonov, Mikael Granlund, Colin Blackwell, Cody Ceci and Brendan Smith are all pending UFAs, with Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundqvist in need of new deals as restricted free agents. 

Duchene also said Saturday he would like to stay in Dallas after posting 30 goals and 82 points in 82 games this season. The 34-year-old centre had one goal and six points in 18 playoff games as he played with Dallas on a one-year, $3 million contract for the second straight season. 

Dallas currently has 16 players under contract for next season.