It's been a while since we saw Claude Giroux here in Philadelphia as a Flyer. It's been three years since he was traded to Florida. My first article here looked at who the Flyers might name as captain after Giroux left Philadelphia.
If you recall, he was traded to Florida for Owen Tippett. Florida was hoping to make a Stanley Cup run that year and fell early in the playoffs. He became a free agent and signed with his hometown Ottawa Senators. It was hoped he could help bring them to a Stanley Cup Championship. Instead, the Sens do what the Sens do best: miss the playoffs repeatedly. This past year, they finally made the postseason and were dispatched by the Maple Leafs.
Three years in Ottawa with little success. For a guy who just turned 37, the clock is ticking. Yes, some hockey players seem to play forever: Zdeno Chara, Sidney Crosby, Mark Recchi, Jaromir Jagr. Giroux can be one of them. After all, he had a relatively solid season last year. His leadership skills are through the charts, and he would be a boon in the faceoff circle. Likewise, the team has been sorely lacking on the power play since he's been gone.
All of this makes us Flyers fans drool over the idea that he is a free agent. Wouldn't he love to come home to Philly? Wouldn't he come back with a hero's welcome? He's 100 points shy of 1,000 as a career Flyer and nine goals from 300. If he had three solid seasons in Philadelphia, he could crack the top five in goals scored and might reach 700 career assists. It would be wonderful to see him in Philadelphia again, donning the orange and black.
Wake up! He isn't coming back!
Sorry folks, it's not going to happen. It's not because he isn't worth it or would be a good asset. He has lots of ties to this area and team management. They would also be great in being able to convince him to return here. But he's not coming. Why?
Go back to those players I mentioned earlier: Crosby, Chara, Recchi, Jagr. There is one thing they all have in common. All of their names are etched on the Stanley Cup. Giroux's isn't. It's not that he wouldn't want to come back. I'm sure he would. He has no reason to.
Giroux is at that age where Father Time is coming for you. He knows he has anywhere from one to five seasons at best, realistically, to play. He wants hockey immortality. Yes, he's going to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and yes, he'll have his number retired by Philadelphia. Those are great honors. However, every hockey player, from the time they strap on skates, wants to see their name on the Stanley Cup, and every player wants to hold that trophy aloft as they take that victory lap around the rink.
The Flyers aren't there yet. However, a team like the Oilers, the Avalanche, the Stars, the Hurricanes, the Capitals, or the Jets are a team that is a whole lot closer to getting there than Philly is. Yes, there is always that team that comes out of nowhere that takes everyone by surprise and makes a deep run. Nothing in sports is guaranteed.
However, Giroux will hedge his bets with a team that has greater odds of making it to the finals. His love of this organization and fanbase, notwithstanding, will not be enough to lure him home. We'd all love to see him play his remaining years with us. It's where he belongs. However, this isn't about us, the fans, or our team. It's about his needs. He wants the Cup. It's unlikely to happen in Philadelphia anytime soon.
For that reason, and that reason alone, Giroux isn't going to come back here.