Best Claude Giroux destinations if he leaves Senators in 2026 NHL Free Agency

Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026 for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately, their run did not last quite as long as it did in 2025. The Senators lost in round one to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025, bowing out in six games. In 2026, though, they were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in unceremonious fashion.

The Senators can certainly be happy with just making the playoffs. But they will want to make some headway in the postseason sooner rather than later. In saying this, they may make this headway in the postseason without the reliable Giroux in the lineup.

Giroux is a free agent on July 1, when the NHL’s new league year begins. The veteran winger is likely to return for his 20th season in the league. But he may not return to his hometown Sens as the team looks to make some moves to greatly improve the roster.

This is not to say that the 38-year-old won’t return to Ottawa. And it certainly isn’t to say that he can’t be a valuable player. Giroux has recorded at least 49 points in each of his four seasons with the Senators. His offense has gradually declined with age, but there is no reason to doubt that he can provide 15 goals and 40 points in a depth role.

If the Senators are not the team that sign the potential Hall of Famer, here are two teams that would be very good fits for Claude Giroux in 2026 NHL Free Agency.

Claude Giroux could end career back with Flyers

In current year, Giroux has played with three different teams. He started his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2022, and eventually signed with the Senators following the 2022 playoff run. However, there was a time in which him playing for a team not named the Flyers was an unfathomable proposition.

It’s hard to understate how much of a legacy Giroux has with the Flyers. The 38-year-old is one of six players in Philadelphia’s history to score 100+ points in a single season. He scored 10 goals and 21 points in 23 postseason games to lead Philly to an improbable Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2010. He is second all-time in points among Flyers skaters, scoring 900 points in exactly 1000 games with the franchise.

A return to the Flyers wouldn’t be about breaking records for Giroux. It’s unlikely he scores another 311 points with Philadelphia to usurp Bobby Clarke as the all-time points leader for the franchise. But he would be able to end his career where everything started.

Furthermore, the Flyers are good now. They made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. And they even won a series, eliminating Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. Adding Giroux back to the mix could give Philly the veteran leadership and depth needed to make a more prolonged run at the Stanley Cup in 2027.

Stars could use Giroux’s leadership, depth scoring

If Giroux doesn’t see himself retiring anytime soon, then he could hold off on going home to the Flyers. In this instance, the current Senators forward could chase a Stanley Cup with a more established contender. The Dallas Stars could be the perfect team for him in this case.

The Stars made the Western Conference Finals three years running before 2026. This year, they lost in the first round to Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild. Still, Dallas has the talent to contend. In saying this, they could be facing a bit of a roster shakeup this summer.

Dallas is currently projected to have a little more than $10 million in salary cap space for the summer. They need to re-sign Jason Robertson and breakout forward Mavrik Bourque, so they don’t have a ton of operating room. There is a realistic scenario in which Robertson, Bourque, or other forwards are traded to alleviate the cap crunch.

Giroux would likely need to take a discount with the Stars to make this work. However, they may have the roster spots open to fit him into the lineup every night. He could help replace any scoring lost to cap dumps in the offseason. And they would present a clear opportunity to win that elsuive Stanley Cup before he retires.

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