Cornered Flyers get reasonable return for Claude Giroux

The Trade

The Philadelphia Flyers ended weeks of speculation by trading their captain, Claude Giroux, to the Florida Panthers for a package that included Florida’s 2024 first-round pick, its 2023 third-round pick and right winger Owen Tippett  The Flyers also retained 50 percent of Giroux’s salary. Along with Giroux, Florida received Philly’s 2024 fifth-round pick and prospects Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov. Here’s my assessment of how each side fared in the deal. 

Philadelphia Flyers analysis

As tough as it must have been for Philadelphia to part with a guy who just played 1,000 games in black and orange, moving on from Giroux was the right call. The Flyers have had a disastrous year on the ice and needed to turn the page and start a new chapter. They had to do so with very little leverage, however. As Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Saturday, Giroux was only willing to accept a trade to Florida in the end. Getting a return that includes a first-round pick and Tippett was reasonable under those circumstances. Tippett has dominated at the AHL level and has shown potential at the NHL level. Still only 23, he may with an enhanced opportunity in Philly emerge as a bona fide top-six forward with a long career runway. The third-round pick is a nice bonus. Giving up the fifth-rounder and a pair of prospects was palatable given what they acquired. The Flyers will absolutely miss Giroux’s leadership on and off the ice, but this is a solid bet to make for their future – especially since there was no other dance partner to create a bidding war with the Panthers.

Gear’s Grade: B

Florida Panthers analysis

With the addition of Ben Chiarot earlier this week and now Giroux, the Panthers have to be a clear front-runner to win the Cup, if they weren’t already. Them being all-in is an understatement, as they are now without their next three first-round picks. Giroux makes the Cats’ potent offense even deadlier and provides another excellent veteran leader in their room. They also acquired a fifth-rounder and two prospects who have struggled but may yet have upside, especially the talented Rubtsov. The question I have is whether the Panthers really needed to make this deal to get them over the top. Without Giroux, they already boasted the highest-scoring team in the league, one expected to finish the year as the highest-scoring team of the entire salary-cap era. Adding Giroux clearly makes them better, but I wonder whether they have given up assets unnecessarily, albeit they didn’t surrender top prospects Grigori Denisenko and Mackie Samoskevich in the deal. It’s still a risky proposition to give up another first-rounder and Tippett when the cupboards are already getting bare. If they win the Cup, it will all be worth it. If not, they may wish they had stashed at least one of their first rounders for a rainy day.  

Gear’s Grade: B+