The Curious Case Of Claude Giroux And Ottawa's Quiet Start To Free Agency
General manager Steve Staios has hit pause on his offseason because he's waiting on Claude Giroux to finish testing free agency.
Senators general manager Steve Staios made one thing abundantly clear this week: the club's quiet start to free agency wasn't by accident.
While several NHL teams spent the opening days of the market adding veteran talent, the Senators largely stood on the sidelines. According to Staios, that inactivity stemmed from Claude Giroux and his desire to speak with other teams.
"I think we've stated how much we want him back," Staios told the media. "We've been unwavering in our message to him, offered him a contract as far back as before the trade deadline.
"And he's come out and wanted to take a look around in free agency, but hasn't closed the door to coming back to Ottawa. I mean, for us, there's also a reason why I'm not active today. Obviously, that spot is reserved for him, and I'm eagerly anticipating waiting to have a conversation with him."
It's a remarkable admission by Staios because every day the Senators wait on Giroux, the list of available impact forwards gets shorter. Players find new homes. Trade options disappear. Prices change.
According to Staios, the organization made its intentions known months ago. The Senators were willing to negotiate before the trade deadline. They wanted Giroux back. Yet rather than sign an extension, Giroux chose to test unrestricted free agency.
So the obvious question becomes: why? Why did Giroux want to test the market? What changed from last summer? Why is the hometown guy, who everyone thought wanted to end his career in Ottawa, suddenly entertaining other offers?
There are several possible explanations.
Yes, Staios says they made Giroux an offer back at the deadline, but that doesn't mean it was a particularly good one. Perhaps Giroux believed he deserved more than Ottawa was dangling. Maybe, after missing out on some of his bonuses tied to the team's playoff success last season, he wanted more guaranteed money.
Another possibility is that Giroux suddenly had concerns about the organization's direction. We do know that at the season's end, he said he loved his teammates.
"The guys in that locker room, I love spending time with those guys," Giroux said. "They make it fun coming to the rink, and they definitely keep me young, and being around them is... I feel very lucky."
But the Senators have had changes this offseason, none of which have earned universally positive reviews. Losing Brady Tkachuk's production and leadership inevitably changes the outlook, and perhaps Giroux suspects a step backward. He can see his NHL career sunset now and no longer has time for steps backward.
There's also the possibility that Giroux's role was about to change. If the Sens have Giroux targeted for less ice time, that could naturally influence things.
It could be all of the above.
Staios, for his part, seems content to wait, keeping a light on for Giroux whenever he wants to come home.
"Would I like to be in a position now, knowing that G is back and continuing to work on the roster? That would be great. But at this point, showing him the respect that he's earned as a free agent to be able to look around. I mean, I wish it were different.
"I think we're watching opportunities that may or may not have come about if we did have an answer. But certainly we'd like to have G back."
No matter how we got here, it's difficult to imagine a GM in any sport putting a team's offseason on hold for any player, even one as respected as Giroux.
Not unless Staios really feels strongly that Giroux will come back.
With Giroux's well-known love of his hometown, maybe Staios believes the veteran doesn't really want to end his career somewhere else, that this is a bluff by Giroux's camp, and he's willing to call them on it and wait it out.
If Giroux ultimately returns, then no harm is done.
But if he signs elsewhere, then Sens fans will be left wondering whether the Sens missed the bus on some good opportunities while waiting for an answer that never came.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
