Report: Senators open contract talks with veteran F Giroux
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The Ottawa Senators are interested in keeping veteran winger Claude Giroux in the nation's capital, and as Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reports, it's down to the details of a potential contract.
According to Garrioch, conversations have begun to take place between Giroux, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and the team.
The expectations around the league, Garrioch added, is that the Senators will sign Giroux to a one-year contract in the $3-4 million range. A league executive noted that Joe Pavelski made $3.5 million in his final year with the Dallas Stars with additional money available in bonuses.
"That's a good comparison to me," the league executive said.
Giroux, 37, scored 15 goals for the Senators and finished with 50 points in 81 games this season. It was the final season of a three-year, $19.5 million deal.
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. "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."