As the NHL trade deadline loomed upon the league and passed this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, there were not a whole lot of blockbuster trades – but there was one huge blockbuster.
The struggling Philadelphia Flyers traded their captain, veteran Claude Giroux, to the Florida Panthers. They also sent German Rubtsov, Connor Bunnaman, and a 2024 fifth-round pick to Florida. In return, the Flyers received Owen Tippett and two draft picks in 2023 and 2024.
This trade marks the end of an era for the Flyers. The team has not been competitive in years, and with an abysmal 20-31-11 record (51 points), ownership had to act. By shipping Giroux down to sunny Sunrise, Florida, home of the best team in the Eastern Conference, they signal the ushering in of yet another rebuild.
Breaking: The Florida Panthers are acquiring Claude Giroux from the Flyers, sources told @emilymkaplan. pic.twitter.com/rJsX4USWQw
— ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2022
“Any day that you trade your captain is a tough day, and with how much Claude has meant to this organization and how he has represented himself for 15 years, makes it all that more difficult to say goodbye,” Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said. “Claude is one of the best players to ever wear a Flyer uniform.”
Alas, the 34-year-old captain was an unrestricted free agent and thus was able to be moved. The Flyers will pay half of his remaining salary, which was about $8.2 million at the start of the season (Giroux is coming to the end of his 8-year, $66.2 million contract).
With 90 points (a 42-14-6 record), the Florida Panthers are the best team in the Eastern Conference and the second-best team in the entire NHL, only behind the Colorado Avalanche, who have 93 points (a 44-13-5 record). Giroux is expected to be slid into the Panthers’ first line, playing alongside superstar Aleksander Barkov.
Claude Giroux after landing in South Florida: “I’m here to win. I’m here to help the team win. I think this team has a great chance to go far in the playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/au7gB8Xn7v
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 21, 2022
“[Giroux] has demonstrated his elite leadership and work ethic during his tenure in Philadelphia and we are thrilled to be able to welcome a player of his caliber to our lineup,” Panthers GM Bill Zito said.
Other NHL trade deadline action include the Chicago Blackhawks trading veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2022 second-round draft pick, and the Anaheim Ducks trading Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins in exchange for John Moore, Urho Vaakanainen, and multiple draft picks.
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