Claude Giroux seems to complain about the Panthers following trade to Florida

Claude Giroux was acquired ahead of the trade deadline by Florida in a blockbuster deal that sent right winger Owen Tippett and a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers. And while Giroux might do very well as a member of the Panthers, there are already many talks that he is looking for his next NHL destination with a return to his hometown of Ottawa in the cards.

On top of that in his latest 32 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman points out that Giroux appears to complain about what he needs to adjust to now that he is in the Panthers’ lineup:

“Sportsnet’s Shawn McKenzie asked Claude Giroux about all the adjustments you have to make on a new team. “That’s a long list,” Giroux replied. One thing definitely noticed, the Panthers force him to play at a higher pace than the Flyers did, simply because of the urgency of preparing for the playoffs.”

While we get that Giroux spent his entire career with the Flyers under a certain structure of the team, he had to know things would be different in Florida.

The Panthers also paid a high price to acquire him and certainly made it clear, especially with other deadline deals with defensemen Ben Chiarot and Robert Hagg, and so we get why they want everything out of Giroux.

The veteran forward has never hoisted the Stanley Cup - came close in 2010 but lost it in overtime at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks - and this could be his ultimate change to win it.

Let’s hope he is focusing on what to do to make it happen and not just complaining about it. If that’s the case, maybe Giroux is considering another NHL destination as rumoured before the postseason even gets started…