Two years ago, the Ottawa Senators landed Claude Giroux as a free agent, with the team hoping it would signal the end of their rebuild alongside the likes of
Brady Tkachuk,
Tim Stutzle, and their big trade acquisition
Jakob Chychrun. Unfortunately, that didn't end up happening, as the team has struggled to get off the bottom of the Atlantic Division since, despite Giroux having solid regular seasons, posting point totals of 79 and 64 while playing all 82 games in both years.
Now, The Hockey News has recently identified Giroux as one of the biggest potential trade candidates ahead of the 2025 season, especially if the Senators struggle to begin the season.
With the addition of Linus Ullmark this off-season, this team has become a whole lot more dangerous, but playing in a division with Tampa Bay, Florida, Toronto, Boston, Detroit, Montreal, and Buffalo makes their chances at a post-season spot very tough indeed. At 36 years of age, Giroux is playing with his hometown team, so he ultimately may not want to be traded, but if he wants to compete for a Stanley Cup, expect significant interest for the star forward leading up to the 2025 trade deadline.