Giroux will be 37 next summer when he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
There's been plenty of conversation about defenceman Jakob Chychrun's future in Ottawa. He's about to enter the final year of his contract, and when asked about staying after next season, he claimed he hadn't even thought about it.
Naturally, that's led to speculation that Chychrun may be planning to test unrestricted free agency for the first time next summer. If that's his plan, there would be little to discuss. The Senators would have a case of DeBrincat 2.0 on their hands. They'd need to pull the trigger on a trade, possibly before next month's draft and, if not, before the trade deadline next season.
All of this has overshadowed the fact that veteran winger Claude Giroux is about to enter the final year of his contract, too. So, what's Giroux planning after the coming season? He is eligible to sign an extension in just over a month from now. Or maybe he hasn't thought about it either?
After two seasons in Ottawa, where he and his family call home, this city's fan base has embraced Giroux completely. It feels like he's been here for six years, not two.
Unlike Chychrun, Giroux has given us no reason to think he won't be happy to sign an extension. But it's also safe to say that he didn't envision how poorly his new team would finish the last two seasons.
Giroux isn't likely to tip his hand one way or the other. He won't say he wants out because that would be highly unpopular in his hometown. He won't say he wants to be a Senator for life because that damages his negotiation leverage. And there's also a decent chance he doesn't know yet what he wants to do.
So let's look ahead and play out some of the potential Giroux scenarios that could happen in the next year. We'll get the negative out of the way first.
Why Giroux Doesn't Stay:
- The Sens struggle again, Giroux hears the clock ticking, and wants to go somewhere with a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Yes, he signed with the Senators for family reasons, but that's when he thought the team was close to returning to the playoffs. That hasn't been the case, which may have changed the attraction level.
- Age begins to catch up with Giroux, who'll be 37 next summer. The Sens' brass sees it and chooses to move him at the deadline to get what they can while they still can.
- The Senators are on track to miss the playoffs for an eighth straight season, so they make a difficult decision to move Giroux at the deadline. His game is still in good shape, but the Sens realize by the time they return to contention, Giroux will probably be too old to be a top contributor.
Why Giroux Stays:
- The Senators show significant improvements, Giroux is still effective as a player and mentor, and both sides are excited to sign an extension.
- Giroux signed with Ottawa for family reasons and nothing has changed. He wants to finish his career here, no matter what the Senators' record may be.
- The Senators would rather not move Giroux if they don't have to, knowing how unpopular it would be with the fan base, even if he's lost a step. The Sens know that if circumstances require it, Giroux's game could translate nicely from a top-six to a third-line role before he walks off into the sunset.
Giroux's value could remain high for longer than people think, and that's great news for the Senators whether he signs an extension or becomes a trade chip. Giroux is rarely injured and works uncommonly hard to keep his body in shape every summer.
For example, there's no reason to think he can't replicate Joe Pavelski's defiance of time. Pavelski turns 40 this summer and posted 67 points in Dallas this season.
The dream scenario for Sens fans is for G to finish his career as an Ottawa Senator and remain effective until the end. It'll be fascinating to see what the next year actually holds for the future Hall of Famer.