Unexpected Trouble in Ottawa May End Up Benefitting the Toronto Maple Leafs

While a lot of attention is being paid to the bigger names heading into free agency, like Sam Bennett, Mitch Marner, and Brad Marchand, there are several middle-of-the-pack players that the Toronto Maple Leafs should be looking into like Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux.

After being eliminated at the hands of the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs, it almost felt like a foregone conclusion that Giroux would be returning to Ottawa the following year. However, as we near July's free agent frenzy, there are now reports surfacing from Nick Kypreos that both sides have reached a stalemate.

The long-time captain of the Philadelphia Flyers has 1,263 regular season games under his belt with his most recent 245 being in an Ottawa sweater.

He signed with the Senators because he wanted to be closer to his family but if both sides can't come to an agreement, the Maple Leafs should be all over the situation.

While his numbers have regressed since his first season with the Senators, he's still put up 71 goals and 193 points over his last 3 seasons and has remained one of the best face-off men in all of hockey.

He carries a career success rate of 56.4%, but has won close to 60% of his draws since 2021-22, including 61.5% last season.

Giroux is a bit of a Swiss army knife as he can play down the middle or on the wing, is an amazing face-off specialist, can fit seamlessly on any line within the top-9, and has a ton of experience and leadership qualities for the locker room.

What could also be beneficial are his relationships with former Flyers Scott Laughton, Philippe Myers, and even Craig Berube when he was behind the bench in Philadelphia between 2008-09 and 2014-15.

The 18-year veteran has been a solid option wherever he's played throughout his career, but he's still looking for that elusive Stanley Cup.

Perhaps a union with the Maple Leafs can bring about success for both player and team during the next playoff run.