Giroux contract latest splash by new-look Senators
Additions of forward, DeBrincat, goalie Talbot could help end playoff drought
There is an optimistic buzz in the Canadian capital about the Senators after the moves they've made recently. Giroux, who grew up in the Ottawa area, said it helped with his decision to sign a three-year, $19.5 million contract Wednesday. The 34-year-old forward has 923 points (294 goals, 629 assists) in 1,018 regular-season games and 81 points (28 goals, 53 assists) in 95 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers.
Giroux, who spends the offseason in the Ottawa suburb of Orleans, admitted the chance to play at home tugged at his heartstrings. The additions made by the Senators roster, he said, sealed the deal.
"There was a lot of emotions," Giroux said. "I mean, you're nervous, you're excited, and then you're scared and then you start thinking about a little bit too much. The moves that Pierre was able to do the last few weeks, it's obviously helped my choice a lot and I'm very excited."
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The addition of Giroux is the latest splash made by Dorion this month. The flurry of activity began July 8, when the Senators acquired forward Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks several hours before the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft for Ottawa's first- and second-round picks in the 2022 draft (Nos. 7, defenseman Kevin Korchinski, and 39, center Paul Ludwinski) and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. DeBrincat, 24, had 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) in 368 regular-season games and six points (two goals, four assists) in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games during his time with Chicago (2017-22).
On Monday, the Senators traded goalie Matt Murray, a two-time Stanley Cup winner for the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 2017), to the Toronto Maple Leafs for future considerations. Ottawa also traded a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a seventh-round selection in the 2024 draft. The Senators retained 25 percent of Murray's salary over the remaining two years of his deal, meaning the Maple Leafs are on the hook for an AAV of $4.688 million.
After moving Murray to Toronto, the Senators acquired goalie Cam Talbot from the Minnesota Wild for goalie Filip Gustavsson. Talbot, 35, was 32-12-4 with a 2.76 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 games (48 starts) this season and has one season remaining on a three-year, $11 million contract ($3.67 million average annual value) he signed with Minnesota on Oct. 9, 2020.
Then came Wednesday and the signing of Giroux, which Dorion called the "cherry on top."
"During my little time with Claude and my conversations with his agent, Pat Brisson, this afternoon, they both indicated that Claude was really watching what you were doing the past few weeks and that probably tipped his hand in coming to Ottawa,'" Dorion told NHL.com in a phone interview Wednesday. "Obviously Claude wants to come here and try to win. He knows it's step by step, but we want to play meaningful games at the end of the year. Having these additions helps us do that."
The Senators haven't qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final in seven games. Given their recent transactions, they seem determined to end that drought.
Consider, for example, the change amongst their top-six forwards. Giroux and DeBrincat join a talented core that already features captain Brady Tkachuk,
Tim Stutzle
, Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, each 24 or younger. The power play, quarterbacked by defenseman Thomas Chabot, will be augmented by Giroux and DeBrincat.
Dorion said Chabot and Tkachuk each sent him text messages expressing their excitement about the improvements. It's a feel-good vibe the entire city is embracing.
"I've been cooped up in our offices the past few days since the draft (July 7-8), but just by what I hear from what people are telling me, I think people are pretty excited internally here," he said. "The coaching staff is pretty excited, management is pretty excited, I can even tell you the scouting staff, both pro and amateur, are pretty excited here about the direction we're going here. More importantly, I think our players are pretty excited."
Count Giroux among those. With his son, Gavin, sitting beside him, he was smiling from ear to ear for the majority of his press conference.
"The pieces that Pierre was able to add, and all those young players, they had great years last year and they're only going to get better," he said. "Are we going to win the Cup next year? Probably not. I'm not saying we won't, but probably not. But it's something we have a full year to build on, to work on, to build an identity. And I think when we do that, that's when we'll start being dangerous.
"You don't get an identity 10 games into the season. But when you start getting one and you know how to play and what kind of team you want to be, that's when you start winning hockey games."
