Although they failed in their pursuit of John Carlson, the Philadelphia Flyers are still in the mix for one of the better remaining unrestricted free agents. According to Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports, General Manager Daniel Brière told the media yesterday that the Flyers have had discussions with Claude Giroux.
Obviously, Giroux’s connection to the Flyers organization needs no explanation. The former captain, Giroux, spent 15 years of his career in Philadelphia, scoring 291 goals and 900 points in 1,000 games, helping the franchise reach its most recent Stanley Cup Final in 2010.
Even at 38, Giroux remains one of the best centers in the game, nearly averaging a 60.0% faceoff rate throughout his time with the Ottawa Senators. If Trevor Zegras is willing to move back to the wing, Giroux could be a great addition, even outside of the nostalgia, for the Flyers’ middle six.
Additional notes from the Metro Division:
According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders are one of several teams that have expressed interest in free agent winger Patrik Laine. Assuming he can remain healthy, which is a risky assumption, Laine to the Islanders makes a lot of sense. He wouldn’t cost too much, and as a powerplay specialist, could certainly help a New York powerplay that finished 30th in the league last season. Unfortunately, Laine doesn’t score too much at even strength, meaning he wouldn’t help the Islanders much in that regard.
Sticking with the Islanders, Rosner also provided an update on New York’s first-round pick from the 2026 NHL Draft. According to Rosner, defenseman Malte Gustafsson, whom the Islanders selected with the 13th overall pick, plans to come to North America after the 2026-27 campaign. Gustafsson is lined up to play for the SHL’s HV71 next season, where he tallied three assists in 27 games with a -8 rating last year.