Sometimes, it’s important to recognize when to close a chapter and leave things in the past. I say that to deny accusations that this is a nostalgia-driven piece—it is anything but. Stick with me on this one.
Recently, I made a proposal that the Philadelphia Flyers should take an aggressive approach in the 2025 offseason to add the top-end centers that they lack. It might be helpful if you read that for a deeper explanation of my rationale, but it isn’t required. This piece, however, is under the assumption that the team is right around the playoff race in 2024-25, much like they were the campaign before. Cumulatively, the team’s pieces including current players, draft picks, and prospects look rather promising with Matvei Michkov in the mix. To put it all together, the Orange and Black seemingly just need high-end centers, which would end their rebuild.
In the proposal I just referenced, I spoke (and remain steady) on how the easiest way to secure a number-one center considering the Flyers’ situation is by trading for one. It’s true that young, high-end centermen—which would be my target with the team’s youth in mind—aren’t on the market unless you make it worth the opposing team’s while. But, also, those kinds of players aren’t usually attainable through the draft unless you’re a consistent bottom-feeder. This is something that the Flyers are not.
While I don’t see Claude Giroux, a long-time center turned winger, as an adequate first-line player down the middle, he could take the team’s second line to new heights. A free agent in the 2025 offseason, I see the 1,000-game-tenured Flyer as being right on the team’s radar.
What’s the appeal for both the player and the Flyers? What might he add to the team? Let’s discuss.
The Flyers Are Not Taking Things Slow
Contrary to what the Flyers might have said in the past, their rebuild now has a timer on it. The second 27-year-old Travis Konecny put pen to paper on an eight-year extension worth $8.75 million per season, the Orange and Black were put on the clock.
Even the biggest fans of Konecny have to admit one thing: he’s only going to be good for so long. Now, how long that is can vary depending on who you ask. But with the specific style he plays, aging trends suggest that he has about five or six good years left before a noticeable decline sets in. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though.
Without Michkov and with a struggling Cam Atkinson in his place, the Flyers were a playoff team through most of 2023-24. Until their end-of-season drop-off, it really did seem like they were bound for the postseason. Due to many factors that I have already covered, they are poised to run it back and perhaps avenge themselves.
This is mainly why the Konecny extension can be justified. The Flyers aren’t rebuilding in the traditional sense, but are instead trying to immediately provide Michkov with a good roster that he can work with. The wingers here are great and should stay that way for a long time, the defense is solid with some promising young pieces, and the goaltending is a work in progress but there are quite a few potential high-end netminders in the pipeline. As time goes by, in theory, the team will go from good to better—but there’s a limit to that.
The Flyers have a weakness at center, so they’re sort of stuck even if they do reach their potential. If Philadelphia is around a playoff spot by season’s end (and improves as time moves along), they won’t ever be in a favorable position to draft their way out of the dearth down the middle. So, the solution here is for the team to trade their way out of mayhem. Not only does it maximize the value of Konecny’s contract, but it can bring contending hockey back to Philadelphia. If Michkov becomes the player we all think he can, the Orange and Black will be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference soon enough if they’re aggressive along the way. Finally, this is where Giroux comes in.
How Giroux Comes Into Play
My vision is that the Flyers go out and acquire a younger first-line center, but the second line would be up for grabs in my eyes. To seriously put the Orange and Black in a spot where they can succeed, they’ll have to be assertive. Giroux will likely return to his former team if they’re after him—it’s an easy short-term fix.
While he’s 36 years old, Giroux is still one of the better forwards in the NHL and has the offensive upside that the Flyers need. He’s the kind of player whose game doesn’t age poorly—he could theoretically have another two or three impressive showings before he tails off and has to retire. With him signed, this is what an offensive lineup could look like in 2025-26:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Tyson Foerster | N/A | Matvei Michkov |
| Owen Tippett | Claude Giroux | Travis Konecny |
| Joel Farabee/Scott Laughton | Sean Couturier | Bobby Brink |
| Noah Cates | Ryan Poehling | Garnet Hathaway |
| Nicolas Deslauriers |
Morgan Frost is in the last season of his contract, so I envision that the Flyers trade his rights away. As for the third-line left-wing, either Joel Farabee or Scott Laughton works—I think one of those two would have to be traded, though. With that out of the way, let’s get to the defense:
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
| Cam York | Jamie Drysdale |
| Nick Seeler | Travis Sanheim |
| Emil Andrae | Rasmus Ristolainen |
| Egor Zamula | Ronnie Attard |
Especially if goaltenders Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov remain, the lineups above might not look game-changing even if you insert your own first-line center. But in adding Michkov, Giroux, and a true top center (plus assuming the players throughout naturally improve), perhaps your perspective might change. Again, this is a team that had over a 90 percent chance to qualify for the postseason without the factors above until they lost nine of their last 11 contests—these moves would change a lot both right away and as years pass. Their 5-on-5 dominance could turn into goals instead of missed opportunities with this added talent.
If Michkov is a top producer quickly, this team would instantly be a highly likely playoff club with some upside if the right center is put into place. Players like Tim Stutzle (a long shot, but theoretically not impossible), Robert Thomas, and Trevor Zegras are what I have in mind. Based on my restricted free agent (RFA) contract projections for the 2025 offseason minus Frost and assuming Giroux gets a $5.5 million cap hit from the Flyers for, let’s say, two years, the team would, unfortunately, have little money to spare. If Laughton goes and Farabee stays, I have them sitting at a $85.6 million cap hit assuming Ryan Ellis is placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). The healthy scratches would be Nicolas Deslauriers, Egor Zamula, and Ronnie Attard, giving the team 23 of 23 roster spots once the top center is added.
Even if the NHL’s 2025-26 cap ceiling is more than what it is presently ($88 million), there’s not a lot to spend—you’re looking at $6.9 million for a first-line center if the cap increases by the same amount it did last time. But Rasmus Ristolainen’s $5.1 million cap hit can be traded among others—it’s possible to navigate.
So, that’s the situation described in detail. It would take some adjusting for Giroux to change back to his old center spot versus the wing, but he’d give the team the ammo they need to be a future contender. But why him specifically? Why is he so desirable?
Why Bring Giroux Back?
Aside from the fact that he’s a good player and fits what the Flyers would need in 2025-26, Giroux represents everything that management has preached: culture. The captain from 2012-13 until he was traded on March 19, 2022, he has definitely seen a lot. Known as a trash-talker on the ice but a leader nonetheless, he brings a veteran voice that the team could have used last season when they were falling apart.
Related: Claude Giroux Is a Definitive Hall-of-Famer
The mission here would be to allow Giroux to just be himself—he can lead by example rather than receive a letter on his chest. A former superstar in Philadelphia could teach Michkov what it means to be one, as that’s what his future might be. A language barrier may be present, but there’s only one current player out there who can give Michkov the best first-hand knowledge, and it’s Giroux.
Another important thing to note is that by the time Giroux’s deal expires (or he’s ready to retire), center prospect Jett Luchanko can take his place. Instead of waiting for the 18-year-old to be ready, the Flyers can compete while he’s developing. Both provide a lot of offense and have playmaking upside, so it could be a seamless transition.
Lastly, even for Philadelphia, winning over free agents can be hard. But if there’s anyone who would want to go out of their way to be a Flyer, Giroux is that player. It feels like he has some unfinished business, even if the goal isn’t to win a Stanley Cup right away. The idea is more so to get Michkov some playoff experience and maybe go on a run, which would be valuable. The Orange and Black could even get a significant discount on the player (so, less than $5.5 million per season) because of his loyalty to them. This would be the icing on the cake.
With three first- and second-round picks respectively in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Flyers have plenty of assets to trade for a top-line center if they desire. The player below him in the depth chart is where some creativity can be had—Giroux seems as good of a candidate as anyone.