What happened to Claude Giroux?

The Flyers captain has had back-to-back mediocre seasons, is he done as an elite NHL talent?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
What happened to Claude Giroux?
Keystone Press

One year ago, after coming off a disappointing 22 goal and 67 point season, it was thought that an offseason hip surgery would help Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux find his mojo again. One year and an even more mediocre showing and Flyers fans are left to wonder, “what happened to Claude Giroux”?

That’s exactly the question that Flyers blogger Charlie O’Connor looks to answer in his latest article for Broad Street Hockey. O’Connor takes a deep dive on not only Giroux’s basic stats from the past two seasons, but also his five-on-five metrics and possession stats to get a clear picture of exactly what’s happening with Giroux.

The conclusion? The 29-year-old Giroux looks to be on the decline and, if his trajectory continues, things aren’t going to be pretty in Philly. O’Connor sums up things up succinctly saying, “Claude Giroux isn’t finished as a valuable player in the NHL. But his performance over the past two seasons should have fans of the team re-calibrating their expectations for what the captain can realistically deliver moving forward.”

What do you think? Can Giroux still be an elite point producer in the NHL? For a complete analysis, check out O’Connors article below: