Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
There are fans of the Philadelphia Flyers who see the gap in the teeth of their captain Claude Giroux and see a player who is perfect for their organization. That is certainly the case for a player who scored 48 points this season in 48 games for Philadelphia. The Flyers may not have made the playoffs, but at least they know they have one of the best players in the entire NHL on their squad and one that must be re-signed as soon as possible.
Giroux has really picked up his game over the last three seasons with 217 points in 207 games including a 93-point season just a year ago. It is going to be up to Giroux, however, to get this team back to the playoffs again next season. Philadelphia dug themselves into a massive hole as a team to begin this shortened season and never fully recovered even after winning six of their last seven games. The winning streak included wins over five different playoff teams, and I would be using that as a motivating factor heading into next season.
The Flyers still have another year of Giroux under contract and probably should re-sign him right now before he even gets close to free agency. He is the heart and soul of this Flyers team, and he needs to be signed long-term. Giroux is only 25 years old as well and is entering the prime of his career. There is little doubt that hecould find a way to get close to 100 points next season, and that may be enough to overcome lackluster goaltending to get Philadelphia back to the playoffs. I would take Giroux on my team anytime with the ability he is showing.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
