Claude Giroux is officially on the move: the Flyers captain was traded to the Panthers on Saturday.
Anthony SanFilippo of Crossing Broad was the first to report a trade to the Panthers Thursday night after the Flyers’ game against the Predators, but the trade wasn’t finalized until Saturday.
Back to the Flyers with prospect Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick. The Flyers are also keeping 50% of Giroux’s salary and sending two AHL players and a fifth-round pick to Florida.
Can confirm that the final agreement is:
Claude Giroux, 5th in 2024, Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov
for
2024 1st, 2023 3rd and Owen Tippett.
—Charlie O’Connor (@charlieo_conn) March 19, 2022
Giroux, 34, played his 1,000th NHL game on Thursday, and it turned out to be his last as a member of the Flyers. Giroux did not travel with the team to Ottawa for Friday’s game against the Senators.
He was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal Flyers season. Giroux has 18 goals and 24 assists in 57 games. He’s still an elite two-way player who can play in multiple positions up front. He adds to a Panthers deep offense that leads the league with 4.06 goals per game and joins a franchise that is clearly in winning mode now.
The Flyers are reclaiming strong hope in Tippett, who played 45 games last season but has struggled to find a consistent role this year with Florida. He played 42 games, but was recently demoted to the AHL. Philadelphia gets a first-round pick in 2024 because Florida doesn’t have a first-round selection in 2022 or 2023.
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Business details of Claude Giroux
- Panthers get: Claude Giroux, Connor Bunnaman, German Rubstov, 2022 fifth-round picks
- Flyers get: Owen Tippett, 2024 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick
Giroux is a dominant two-way forward who has been one of the most underrated players in the league for several years.
He can play anywhere as a striker with experience at centre, left wing and right wing. He is responsible in his own area and continues to be dangerous in attack.
Claude Giroux, traded to the FLA, is a versatile top-line forward who propels the game to a high level at both ends of the ice and makes the players around him better. #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/xs14yfePzp
—JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 19, 2022
Giroux makes an already dangerous attack even deadlier. Florida’s top six are now Giroux, Alexander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair or Sam Reinhart.
In Tippett, Philadelphia gets a player close to their hearts. He didn’t make a ton at the NHL level, but he was in a reserve/bottom six role with Florida. Maybe the Flyers see him more as a mid-six forward.
While the Flyers front office will have to wait a few years to use him, he gets the first-round pick that was expected in any deal with Giroux. The 2024 class is expected to be deeper than the 2022 class.
They’re also giving up two salaries to Rubstov and Bunnaman, with no player other than the Flyers front office making an impact in the NHL anytime soon.
Based on the deal, it’s clear GM Chuck Fletcher had his hands tied, with Giroux only willing to waive his no-move clause for Florida, resulting in a return that only “wows” not immediately, but that’s the best the Flyers were going to get.
