Will General Manager Ron Hextall take calls on his Captain?
Philadelphia Flyers
The 29 year old Giroux has scored just twice in past 25 games and still has six years left on a $66,200,000 million dollar deal which carries a annual cap hit of $8,275,000 plus a full no movement clause.
Sam Carchidi of Philly.Com floated out the idea of Ron Hextall taking calls on his captain in his Friday column.
"Find out why Claude Giroux looks as if he’s 29 going on 34.Maybe Giroux is playing injured, though he denies it. Maybe past injures, including a concussion, have just taken a toll. Maybe he just needs big wingers by his side – he was at his best when he played between Scott Hartnell and Jaromir Jagr – to give him more skating room. (Sam Carchidi Philly.Com)"
Giroux is struggling to score…
that’s no secret, he’s on pace for just 59 points, making this season his lowest point total output since 2009/10 (excluding the 2012/13 lockout, 48 points in 48 games). Giroux has 12 goals, 42 points on the year.
Claude Giroux is still the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Flyers; during Philadelphia’s winning streak, Giroux led the way.
"Flyers’ 10-game winning streak in mid-December, Giroux was ninth in the league in points with 30 in 32 games, and his line mate Jake Voracek was tied for third in the league with 33 in 32 games.He’s always been a playmaker who has excelled at his two-way game. That includes being one of the best faceoff men in the league, and that’s hard to come by.In the 26 games since then, Giroux has 12 points and Voracek just 16. That means they’re both averaging about one point every two games. His lack of production is more the result of a team that can’t create any offense rather than a player who has lost his mojo.(The Hockey Writers Matt Brauckmann)"
The Flyers as a whole haven’t been able score. The last time they were able to score more than three goals in a game was January 14th in Boston.
There is an argument that Claude Giroux’s prime is being wasted on a team that’s not of championship caliber. By the time prospects arrive and are ready to compete, Giroux will be past his prime. Perhaps Philadelphia should deal Giroux when his value is high and fully embrace a rebuild in the City of Brotherly Love.
Claude Giroux will return to his scoring form; I wouldn’t expect the Flyers to look or want to move on from their captain. The Flyers’ winning streak may be long gone and there are a lot of question marks surrounding them, not just the subject of Claude Giroux.