The Florida Panthers lifted their second consecutive Stanley Cup this week, thus marking the beginning of the NHL offseason. All teams are now officially in the hunt for new faces as they enter free agency and start rebuilding their teams for the new season.
One team in particular, the Ottawa Senators, is looking towards some massive overhauls to their current roster to fix whatever is wrong with their team. Senators President of Hockey Operations, Steve Staios, is desperate to make his team a Cup contender after finally making the postseason after an eight-year drought.
But while the Senators are looking to build on a breakthrough campaign, one key player might be looking towards leaving Ottawa for greener pastures.
Claude Giroux Is Rumored To Leave the Senators for Another Team
Claude Giroux’s last contract with the Senators expired at the end of the 2024-25 season, making him an unrestricted free agent. The three-year deal was valued at $19.5 million with a cap hit of $6.5 million per year. Multiple sources have claimed that with his UFA status, the 37-year-old is looking to move.
Some reports suggest that the two parties have arrived at a stalemate regarding a contract extension. To the team’s credit, the Senators are trying to bridge the gap by having meetings every few days.
Multiple league executives believe that Giroux’s next contract should be in the range of $3 million, with a bonus added to the contract that might allow him to make somewhere between $4 million and $4.5 million. That’s not bad for a player who is entering the 18th season of his career.
While Giroux’s family is well settled in Ottawa, he might decide to test the waters. The Senators have just $15 million in cap space, which wouldn’t suffice if they want some new faces on their roster while also retaining key veterans.
Talks with veteran winger Claude Giroux are ongoing and have been held regularly. #Sens remain hopeful they’ll get a deal done.
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) June 19, 2025
Giroux, while not as sensational as he was in prior years, has still been a decent forward. With 15 goals and 35 assists across the regular season, he has done a good job supporting the younger offense of Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson.
Some insiders have suggested that Giroux’s primary concern is to renew his contract with the Senators. However, the Montreal Canadiens have been mentioned as a possible landing spot.
One factor that might push Giroux out the door is that Staios has multiple veterans to worry about. This includes the forwards Adam Gaudette, Nick Cousins, and Matthew Highmore.
While Gaudette had a great year with the team, he might be looking to get a long-term deal elsewhere. With just a week remaining until the draft and less than two weeks until free agency, the Senators need to make their decisions quickly.
