Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux was traded to the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
The 34-year-old forward played in his 1000th game for the Flyers on Thursday. An emotional end to a 15-year career in Philadelphia.
“To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of players I’ve played with that I liked get traded. It’s tough when you leave a team,” an emotional Giroux said after his 1000th game on Thursday. “I actually didn’t realize how tough it is. I wish I knew back then. But it’s not something that is really fun. In saying that, tonight we were just telling stories about things that happened the last few years. It was great.”
Florida is currently first in the Atlantic Division with an 42-14-6 record & the odds on favorite to win the Eastern Conference. Giving Claude Giroux a real good shot at the Stanley Cup.
On the season, Giroux has 18 goals & 24 goals in 57 games.
In his 1000 games in Philadelphia, Giroux finished his tenure in a Flyers uniform with 291 goals & 609 assists. Giroux became just the second Flyers player ever – Bobby Clarke the other – to play 1000 games in Philadelphia.
Giroux is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at seasons end.
The Flyers received Owen Tippett, 2024 1st round pick, & 2023 3rd round pick for Giroux. Florida also acquired Connor Bunnanman, German Rubtsov, & a 2024 5th round pick in addition to Giroux. The Flyers retained 50% of Giroux’s cap hit in the deal.
Owen Tippett
Owen Tippett (23) – 6’1″ 207lbs LW/RW – was a 1st round pick (10th overall) by the Florida Panthers in 2017. Tippett has 14 goals & 19 assists in 94 career NHL games.
In 42 games for the Panthers this season, Tippett has 6 goals & 8 assists. While also adding 6 goals & 12 assists in 12 games in the AHL for the Charlotte Checkers – the Panthers AHL affiliate.
“A natural goal-scorer with the speed and size combo that has NHL teams very excited. He is a great skater, powerful and balanced, generating high levels of speed. Has a finisher’s touch and goal-scorer’s mentality, getting himself premier looks at the net. He has a lethal shot, with an all-world release and impressive strength behind it that rivals many NHL goal-scorers.” – FCHOCKEY
“I’m really excited for this new opportunity to join a team, build with them, and get a fresh start,” Tippett said about coming to Philadelphia. “I’m still working on trying to round out my 200-foot game, but overall I think I can bring offense, size and speed to the lineup. I’m really excited to get going and meet everyone.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Nwachukwu – Getty Images
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