Knowing the dagger is coming doesn't make it any less hurt. Is it a dagger? The Greatsword was wielded by a character in Elden Ring. Giroux played his 1,000th game with the franchise on Saturday and was traded to the Florida panthers. It was a thank you game for all that he had done for the team that has never done enough for him. Giroux deserved to join the ranks of legends like Mike Modano, Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic, who played their entire career for one team and won a Stanley Cup. The end of an era is marked by the full acknowledgement of the failure of Chuck and Dave Scott. When he was hired as the team's new GM, it was known that Ron Hextall had done a great job of collecting assets, building up the prospect pool and creating salary-cap space that the team needed to WIN NOW and end the mediocrity of the team. That didn't happen. It's easy to forget, but many people were considered potential stars. A franchise stuck in the 1970s has a whole bunch of dinosaur coaches and a development philosophy that doesn't translate in the modern world.
His ability to turn a dollar into 50 cents is one of the greatest skills he has. He did that with the Giroux trade, getting back Owen Tippett, who has the ceiling of an NHL third liner, a first-round pick in 2024 and a third rounder in 2023. The other GM was happy when the other GM was sent to Florida, so the other GM was happy when the other GM was sent to Florida. Half of G's salary was retained by theFlyers. Fifty cents? The bank opened its vault and removed all security measures.
You can say that Giroux had a no-movement clause, and that he limited his choice of destinations to Florida. There were rumors that Giroux was going to Colorado, but maybe MacKinnon doesn't approve of his love of grilled cheese sandwiches. Florida traded the latter away to Montreal for a rental plug earlier in the week, which is why the first-round pick is a 2024 one. Giroux will most likely be on the first line and top power-play unit, while Chiarot is a guy who will get third-pair minutes. It sounds like he got outmaneuvered and had to settle for less.
The key piece that the Flyers got back for their captain, still playing at a star level, is an unknown 15-year-old who may be ready for his NHL debut in 2028 after a bit of seasoning in the American Hockey League. Giroux is 34 years old and the chances of him remaining in the game are high. Why not just keep him?
Giroux might return as a free agent if he wins the Cup. Maybe he will. There is a good chance that Giroux will enjoy the sun in Florida and be on a winning team.
TheFlyers aren't a winning franchise, haven't been one for a long time, and need a total reset to have hope of being one once that 2024 first rounder is ready to go.
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