The great news for the Montreal Canadiens is that they have multiple young stars under contract for the next several seasons at very team-friendly rates, and they expect to be a force in the Atlantic Division for the foreseeable future.
This past season, the Canadiens not only qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year but also earned consecutive road Game 7 victories against the divisional rival Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres before ultimately falling in the Eastern Conference Final to the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, the Canadiens appear well set to be one of the factors in the division for the next several years, and according to a recent report, they were said to be in the mix for a former captain of a rival Eastern Conference club who has since decided to remain where he is.
The Montreal Canadiens Were Reportedly In The Mix For Claude Giroux Before He Ultimately Re-Signed In Ottawa
According to Senators Insider Bruce Garrioch, former Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux was considering multiple options for what could be the final season of his career before he ultimately decided to sign a one-year extension in Ottawa.
Included in the teams that Giroux was considering, per Garrioch, were the Canadiens, as well as the rival Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Giroux had options to go elsewhere, and gave serious thought to moving back to Philly,” Garrioch wrote. “Article content A league executive told the Ottawa Citizen that the Leafs made him “a significant” offer, but we’re not sure Toronto was ever really in the mix. The Oilers had the door open if Giroux wanted the chance to compete for a Cup, while the Montreal Canadiens kicked tires.”
He continued:
“If he hadn’t chosen the Senators, Giroux would likely have returned to the Flyers. He still has lots of friends in Philly, and Daniel Brière, Giroux’s longtime former Flyer teammate, is in the GM’s chair. The lure to return was real, but in the end he decided to stay home.”
Montreal stayed busy this offseason, locking up Ivan Demidov with an eight-year contract while adding goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen on a one-year deal when free agency opened on July 1. The Canadiens also extended netminder Jakub Dobes for three years and sent forward Joshua Roy to Utah in a trade.
Claude Giroux Decided To Return To The Senators
Giroux, who spent the first several seasons of his career with the Flyers, was traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. He then signed a three-year contract with his hometown Senators, and later signed a one-year extension last offseason upon the completion of that deal.
He’s now back for another one-year extension with the Senators, whom he said he enjoys playing for.
“I chose to come back because I want to be here. I’m excited to be an Ottawa Senator,” said Giroux. “Being around those guys for four years, we got really close. This team feels like a family. I just care for those players.”
So far in his NHL career, Giroux has scored 379 goals with 786 assists. He’s also contributed 29 goals with 57 assists in 105 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Canadiens Were In The Mix For Former $66.2 Million Star