The two main teams that Giroux has been linked to in recent weeks are the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The New York Rangers were a dark horse to acquire Giroux for awhile, but it seemed to be a two-horse race at the end, with Giroux's preferred destination being Florida.
Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher is believed to have received his top offer from the Colorado Avalanche, but he had made a promise to Giroux that if he had competitive deals from both teams, he'd send Giroux to Florida - his preferred destination.
The Atlantic Division is improving exponentially across the board, and if Leafs GM Kyle Dubas hopes to keep up, he may be forced to overpay on a player like Arizona's Jakob Chychrun or Vancouver's J.T. Miller just to keep up with the improvements of his division rivals.
POLL | ||
19 MARS | 298 ANSWERS The Philadelphia Flyers have finally traded captain Claude Giroux Will the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup? | ||
With Giroux on board, they're the favourites | 58 | 19.5 % |
No, Tampa will still beat them | 61 | 20.5 % |
Only if Ekblad isn't hurt bad | 29 | 9.7 % |
Too many good teams to pick a winner | 150 | 50.3 % |
List of polls |