His statistics certainly agree with that assessment.
Able to be deployed in all situations, Giroux, a seven-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, has racked up 900 points (291 goals, 609 assists) in this career to date, including the 18 goals and 24 assists that he posted in 57 games with the Flyers this season.
A demon in the dot, his 60.9% success rate in the faceoff circle places him near the top of the league in that category, while the fact that he's never finished with a sub-50 CF% at 5-on-5 in a single full season of his career highlights his exceptional reliability when it comes to possession.
In short, the Panthers are getting the total package.
"He's a top faceoff guy in the league, and he's a right-handed shot, and he kills penalties, and he's a power play guy," Zito said with an ever-growing grin. "We're checking boxes off as we go through. Where other teams may be looking to acquire a few players, we're getting it all in one."
While it wasn't easy saying goodbye to the City of Brotherly Love, the chance to chase down a Stanley Cup has put a fire in Giroux's belly. Leading the Atlantic Division with a record of 42-14-6, the Panthers are not only itching to get to the playoffs, but are also poised to make noise.
Of those 42 wins, three came against the Flyers.
"It was pretty annoying to play the Panthers," Giroux chuckled. "To be on their side now, it's definitely very exciting. I had a chance to talk with [interim head coach Andrew Brunette] today, and it got me even more excited. I met a few guys. It's a lot of emotions. It's kind of weird, but I couldn't be more excited."
About halfway through his introductory press conference at FLA Live Arena, Giroux had to stop himself when he started to realize just how much he was using the word "excited" in his answers.
"I keep repeating myself," he said, prompting a laugh from the gathered media.
Can you blame him?
The only team in the league averaging more than four goals per game, Giroux joining the Panthers elicits mental images of Scrooge McDuck diving into his big pool full of gold coins.
Looking at the roster both on paper and in person, Giroux feels "the team looks great right now," especially when you consider the sheer amount of high-end talent sitting at the top in players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad, to name a few.
Willing to play "wherever the team needs," Giroux, going off what both Zito and Brunette have said since the deal went down, is expected to play on the top line alongside Carter Verhaeghe and Barkov, the reigning Selke Trophy winner and the team's leading goal-scorer with 26 goals.
