With Claude Giroux approaching free agency, some fans have begun to wonder if a reunion in Philadelphia would be possible. It's been over three years since Giroux played in his 1,000th game before being traded to Florida.
And while it would be sentimental to bring Giroux back to the place where it all began, there is little sense to the move for either side. Sure, it felt like Giroux was supposed to remain with the Flyers for his entire career. And he may see his number retired by the team someday. But sometimes things don't work out the way they should.
It was clear that Giroux's time in Philadelphia was running out, and the two sides needed to part ways. The Flyers were at the peak of admitting they needed to rebuild. And Giroux deserved a chance to chase a Stanley Cup. He has been to the playoffs twice, once with Florida and this past season with Ottawa.
The Flyers have gone five years since they played postseason hockey. Though, do we count the 2020 playoffs as being legitimate? Philadelphia hasn't had real playoff success since five years of postseason hockey between 2008-2012. They made the conference semi-finals twice, the conference finals once, and the Stanley Cup Final once. Dating further back, they made the playoffs in 16 of 17 seasons since 1995, only falling short in 2007.
They have won one round in the postseason since, and they aren't any closer to making the playoffs right now. So why would Giroux want to come back at this stage in his career?
And better yet, why would the Flyers want to bring him back? Giroux turned 37 in January and is not the player he once was. He has still been good for 50+ points since leaving Philadelphia, but his numbers have slowly declined in the last three years. He posted his lowest goal total (15) since the 2016-17 season. His 50 points are his fewest since the 2020-21 season.
The Flyers wouldn't be asking him to be the focal point of their offense, and they do need help at the center position. But with players like Jett Luchanko coming and the Flyers likely to target the position in the upcoming draft, they are better off staying the course on youth. That doesn't count any of their other prospects who are ready to make the jump in the next year or two, regardless of position.
There is only so much space on a roster. The Flyers aren't quite ready to contend for a Stanley Cup yet, and Danny Briere hasn't given any indication that he will steer them off course.
They are expected to try and add at this stage in their rebuild, but it doesn't make sense to shoot for the stars. They have more than a few in-house options to take care of first. With close to $25 million in space this summer, it's possible that at least $10-15 million of that will go to them. That doesn't leave much space, considering they also need a backup goaltender.
That would not leave a lot of money for Giroux, who is coming off a $6.5 million AAV. He is not going to take a huge pay cut at this stage of his career. Nor should he.
It would be nice to see Giroux in a Flyers jersey again. But the reunion doesn't make sense for either side to pursue. We'll always have the memories.