The Edmonton Alberta native spent parts of five seasons in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings after being taken 24th overall in the 2018 WHL draft. He tallied decent offensive numbers in his final few seasons with the Wheat Kings and found his goal-scoring in his final year, netting 32 goals in 66 games.

Hyland will be joining a Bears team that has won back-to-back Calder Cup championships.

In other afternoon notes:

• Newly acquired Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk believes he will be in the mix to play in the Penguins top four defensive group next season (as per Seth Rorabaugh of Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). Grzelcyk told the media that injuries severely limited his play last season as evidenced by his dramatic drop in offensive production and being a healthy scratch for the final stretch of Boston Bruins playoff games. The 30-year-old had just two goals and nine assists in 63 games last season after posting four consecutive seasons with 20 or more points. The Penguins signed the Charlestown, Massachusetts native to a one-year $2.75MM contract on July 1st and given the struggles of Ryan Graves, it is very possible that Grzelcyk could be playing on one of the Penguins’ top two defensive pairings with either Kris Letang or Erik Karlsson.
• Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux joined the Coming In Hot Podcast and talked about his future with the Senators beyond the upcoming season. Giroux noted that he hasn’t spoken with the team or his family about a contract extension in Ottawa and hasn’t thought about it at this time. Giroux has one year left on the three-year deal he signed in 2022 and added that his focus is on having a strong season next year and helping Ottawa reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Giroux isn’t saying much but given the Senators’ lack of success, it makes sense for him to wait and see how the next year plays out before deciding to commit to the team long-term. Giroux is 36 years old and has yet to win a Stanley Cup, and while Ottawa is his home city, the chase for a championship could be something he considers with his next contract.

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Urho Vaakanainen

Arizona Coyotes – Connor Ingram

Boston Bruins – Danton Heinen

Buffalo Sabres – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Calgary Flames – Oliver Kylington

Carolina Hurricanes – Frederik Andersen

Chicago Blackhawks – Colin Blackwell

Colorado Avalanche – Jonathan Drouin

Columbus Blue Jackets – Zach Werenski

Dallas Stars – Matt Duchene

Detroit Red Wings – Alex Lyon

Edmonton Oilers – Vincent Desharnais

Florida Panthers – Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Los Angeles Kings – Viktor Arvidsson

Minnesota Wild – Marco Rossi

Montreal Canadiens – Joel Armia

Nashville Predators – Michael McCarron

New Jersey Devils – Curtis Lazar

New York Islanders – Cal Clutterbuck

New York Rangers – Jonathan Quick

Ottawa Senators – Claude Giroux

Philadelphia Flyers – Sean Couturier

Pittsburgh Penguins – Sidney Crosby

San Jose Sharks – Justin Bailey

Seattle Kraken – Joey Daccord

St. Louis Blues – Nathan Walker

Tampa Bay Lightning – Michael Eyssimont

Toronto Maple Leafs – Ilya Samsonov

Vancouver Canucks – Noah Juulsen

Vegas Golden Knights – Alex Pietrangelo

Washington Capitals – T.J. Oshie

Winnipeg Jets – Laurent Brossoit

It was an Atlantic Division sweep this week, as William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning took home second and third place respectively. Nylander continues to play at a different level for Toronto this year, scoring 28 goals and 59 points in 51 games. Vasilevskiy allowed just six goals on 102 shots across three games, winning them all. After leading the league in wins for five-straight seasons, Vasilevskiy has now closed the gap and trails Linus Ullmark by just two.

• Luke Schenn has emerged as one of the most talked-about trade deadline chips, thanks to his low salary, Stanley Cup experience, and physicality. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff takes a deep dive into Schenn’s market, suggesting clubs like Boston, Minnesota, Calgary, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Vegas could all benefit from adding the veteran defenseman.
• Tage Thompson is listed as day-to-day for the Buffalo Sabres, with head coach Don Granato telling reporters including Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that the star forward has been dealing with some nagging injuries. Granato does expect Thompson to be on the ice tomorrow and isn’t ruling him out for Wednesday’s game. What that means for his All-Star appearance isn’t clear, as it would provide a good chance for him to recover, if still bothered by injury later this week.

Like I said a couple of weeks ago, I really don’t think Toronto has a desire to trade Sandin. You look at their depth chart over the next couple of years and basically every defenseman aside from [Timothy] Liljegren and [Morgan] Rielly come off the cap pretty soon. I think they have a desire to keep him. 

Friedman notes that some agents believe the leverage for Sandin (and fellow unsigned RFA Nicolas Hague) has been lowered by some of the recent deals signed, including the ones for Michael Anderson (one year, $1MM) and Sean Durzi (two years, $3.4MM) with the Los Angeles Kings. Camp starts in just a few days, meaning Sandin might be absent if a deal can’t be worked out at the last second.

• The Ottawa Senators announced their full leadership group ahead of what should be a very interesting season. Claude Giroux will be one of Brady Tkachuk’s alternates, along with Thomas Chabot, after signing a three-year, $19.5MM contract this offseason. Giroux served as captain of the Philadelphia Flyers for ten seasons before reaching unrestricted free agency this summer.
• Cory Schneider will be back in the New York Islanders organization this season says general manager Lou Lamoriello, who spoke with media including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic today. The 36-year-old goaltender leaned into his role with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders last year, posting a .921 save percentage in 30 games, while also making one appearance at the NHL level (and winning his first game since 2019-20). Like so much other Islanders-related news, it is not clear what kind of contract Schneider will be signing, or what role is expected of him this year.

11:03 am: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Ottawa Senators have signed veteran forward Claude Giroux to a three-year contract carrying a cap hit of $6.5MM.

Giroux, 34, had never played for an NHL team other than the Philadelphia Flyers before this season. A deadline deal, one that was highly influenced by his no-movement clause, took him to the Florida Panthers, where he managed to show he can still be a top-end offensive player. With the goal-happy Panthers, he scored 23 points in 18 games down the stretch and then was still effective in the playoffs, even if Florida’s offense dried up in other areas.

Now, as he enters free agency, it isn’t a return to Philadelphia but a homecoming of another sort. Though originally from Hearst, Giroux and his family moved to Ottawa when he was still just a teenager, giving him the chance to go to high school in the area and play high-level minor hockey. Originally passed over in the OHL draft, he would eventually find himself joining the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques, just across the river. In three seasons for Gatineau, he recorded 399 points, including a franchise-record 51 in 19 playoff games during the 2007-08 season.

His No. 28 is now retired by the Olympiques, and if the deal with Ottawa is completed, he’ll get a chance to wear it in front of the home crowd once again (if Connor Brown will give it up, at least).

Though he isn’t the MVP-caliber player of his youth, Giroux’s addition to the Senators lineup would be substantial. He and DeBrincat instantly legitimize a forward group that was previously considered young, talented, but unproven, and make them a force to be reckoned with. While there are still holes on the roster, Ottawa is making a case as a real contender in the Atlantic Division.

Not expected, until one is reminded that Giroux grew up and played his minor hockey in the area, and still has strong ties to Ottawa. The 34-year-old would be a huge splash for an organization that is trying to claw its way out of the rebuilding stage and contend for a playoff spot once again.

After buying out Colin White, the team has plenty of money and cap space to go after someone like Giroux, and could offer him a chance to play with young talents like Brady Tkachuk or Tim Stutzle. The veteran forward has played mostly wing the last few years but also has tons of experience in the middle, meaning he and Stutzle–just learning the center position himself–could share responsibilities, as right and left-handed options on the same line.

They won’t be the only team after Giroux though. He still put up 65 points in 75 games this season, including an outstanding 23-point run with the Florida Panthers after a midseason trade. There’s enough skill there to be a difference-maker for the Senators or any team at both even-strength and on the powerplay, even if he’s not going to be the 100-point player he was in his prime.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Edmonton Oilers, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, are “lurking” and hope to have a chance to sign the veteran forward if he fails to reach an extension with Florida. It also likely would only be possible if the Oilers can’t re-sign Evander Kane, though, with his uncertain future tied to a grievance hearing that is still unscheduled, Edmonton may be forced to make a tough decision on that front.

Giroux, 34, recorded 900 points over a 1,000-game career with the Philadelphia Flyers before heading to Sunrise this year and has long been an elite play-driving forward. With the versatility to play both center and wing, the idea of pairing him with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl (or both) will certainly be exciting for Oilers fans.

Still, a multi-year contract for a player of his age comes with plenty of risks, even if he did play well this season. The Oilers can’t afford to hand out deals that end up backfiring, as they look to capitalize on the elite play of McDavid and Draisaitl over the next few years. A player like Giroux might help them get closer to contention but if his game takes a step back, it could prove costly.

There’s another player that should be included in that group: Claude Giroux. The Philadelphia Flyers icon is now 34 and though he may not have a ton of time left in his career, there’s no doubting that he can still be an impact player. After scoring 18 goals and 42 points in 57 games with the brutal Flyers squad this season, Giroux showed exactly how productive he can still be by joining the high-flying Florida Panthers and adding 23 points in 18 games. He had another eight points in the Panthers’ ten-game playoff run and now must make a decision on where to take his career next.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the first priority would be to stay in Florida. Both Giroux and his agent Pat Brisson told LeBrun that there is a desire to stay with the Panthers if possible, and general manager Bill Zito confirmed that he hopes to find a way to make it happen. Hope, of course, is the operative word, as the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers don’t exactly have cap space to throw around this summer.

For the first time in a little while, there are no big restricted free agents to sign, but with more than $71.3MM already committed to 16 players, a $637K bonus overage penalty carrying over to next season, and Keith Yandle’s buyout penalty jumping to nearly $5.4MM, the Panthers will have to make some moves just to fit their current group in under the $82.5MM ceiling. Getting Giroux seems extremely difficult unless he’s taking a huge discount compared to what he could make on the market.

Wherever he lands, Giroux will have an outside chance at hitting the 1,000-point mark this season. The 15-year NHL veteran currently sits at 923 and needs just six goals to hit 300. It would be extremely odd to see him reach those milestones in a non-Flyers sweater, even if he did seem to fit in after arriving in Florida.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Giroux has already stated his desire to return to South Florida if the opportunity arises. However, with the worst year of the Keith Yandle buyout hitting the Panthers next season, the team has just under $4MM in projected cap space for the 2022-23 season, according to CapFriendly. That’s already an impossible number to sign Giroux unless he takes a serious old-man discount, but the team also has a handful of roster spots to fill on both forward and defense. The team could likely opt to trade Patric Hornqvist (with a limited no-trade clause) and the final year of his $5.3MM cap hit, though, which could seriously open the door for a Giroux return.

If Giroux can’t work out a return to the Panthers organization, though, teams will come prepared with serious offers for his services. The 34-year-old can still be counted on for at least 20 goals and 65/70 points in a full season, and he remains a very good defensive presence and faceoff man. Giroux is still boasting a streak of five seasons above a 55 percent mark in the faceoff circle, and although his skill set is now best used on the wing, he’s still valuable as a faceoff specialist. It’s hard to imagine Giroux receiving less than $6MM or $7MM, although a four-year term is likely an extreme maximum for Giroux at this point.

His hometown Ottawa Senators have been constantly linked to Giroux over the past few years, and the team hasn’t been quiet about their desire to improve this offseason drastically. With the team boasting nearly $25MM in cap space this offseason, they have the room and then some to make that sort of acquisition.

Is a return to the Flyers in the cards? It’s doubtful. Giroux hasn’t made a Stanley Cup Final in 12 years and he doesn’t have a ring. It’s that fact that makes it seem like a discount to stay in a team on the rise in Florida would make the most sense for Giroux. However, if the Senators play their cards right and their prospects develop properly, they could be in a position to win Cups by the end of a Giroux contract as well. Other teams in contending positions may not have the cap space to afford Giroux’s services, but it’s much too early to eliminate that scenario.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Now, it appears that St. Louis has done enough to impress the team’s front office and guide them through what’s likely to be a tumultuous next few seasons in terms of roster construction. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that he expects the Canadiens to announce an extension for St. Louis “in the near future”, although there’s no timeline given for this. The Canadiens finished the season 14-19-4 under St. Louis, a marked improvement over the team’s abysmal 8-30-7 record under Ducharme.

• After being swept out of the Second Round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Claude Giroux expressed interest today in returning to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers. How the team manages to make that work under the salary cap, though, is a gigantic mystery. While the Panthers don’t have any significant pieces to re-sign aside from Giroux and Mason Marchment, the team is greatly restricted in salary space next year by the combined $6.575MM cap hit from the Keith Yandle and Scott Darling buyouts. With that, the team will have just $4MM in cap space this offseason with depth roster spots to fill. Giroux would need to take a steeply discounted deal, which could be unlikely given the much more rich offers he’ll receive elsewhere. Giroux had 23 points in 18 games down the stretch for the Panthers in the regular season and eight points in 10 playoff games.
• The Ottawa Senators appear to be ready to take aggressive steps in exiting their rebuild, with general manager Pierre Dorion saying that the team’s seventh overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft is on the table for trade. Dorion also said that he’s focused on acquiring a top-four defenseman or a high-end forward, if possible. While the Senators do have a strong pool to deal from, they’re also a core that has proven very little with the team staying stagnant in the standings this season. With the team sitting on over $20MM worth of cap space again this offseason, though, they have the roster flexibility to make moves.

In addition to Giroux, the Panthers will also receive forward Connor Bunnaman per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, as well as forward German Rubtsov and the Flyers’ 2024 fifth-round pick, adds LeBrun (link).

With the trade finally materializing, Giroux’s illustrious career on Broad Street has come to an end, and so has the sweepstakes for one of the most coveted deadline rentals in recent history. With the details all accounted for, this trade includes many moving parts on either side. The Panthers of course acquire Giroux, along with Rubtsov, Bunnaman, and a fifth-round draft pick in 2024. In exchange for their franchise icon and other pieces, the Flyers receive Tippett, a first-round draft pick in 2024, and a third-round draft pick in 2023. The Flyers will also retain 50% of Giroux’s salary, as expected.

In Giroux, the Panthers acquire an incredibly versatile player, and another star to add to their group. The 34-year-old has shown throughout his career he can produce strong offensive numbers while playing a 200-foot game, excelling on both the powerplay and penalty-kill, and is widely regarded as one of the best faceoff men in the game. To date, Giroux sits at exactly 900 career points in an even 1,000 career games, including 18 goals and 24 points in 57 games for the Flyers this season.

Giroux not only gives the Panthers another option, but should allow them to be creative in setting their lineups down the stretch and into the playoffs. He should also be able to take some pressure off of the players around him, including star center Aleksander Barkov and Hart Trophy candidate Jonathan Huberdeau.

As exciting as the blockbuster is for hockey fans, especially Panthers fans, the trade is a tough pill to swallow for the Flyers and their fans. While Giroux was expected to be dealt considering the team’s recent struggles and Giroux’s status as a UFA after this season, it is no easier to see the team’s captain, who had just celebrated 1,000 games in the NHL and in a Flyers uniform, at home on Thursday.

Nonetheless, the return for Giroux should be enough to excite the Flyers. The organization acquired two draft picks, including a third-round pick in a strong 2023 draft class, as well as a first-round draft pick in 2024. While the 2024 draft feels like it’s quite far-out, it provides the Flyers with an asset to help continue and develop their build with assets down the road. The primary centerpiece of this deal though, is Tippett. Although Tippett has not met the expectations that saw him selected 10th overall by the Panthers in 2017, he has been able to produce in both the AHL and NHL so far in his career. It’s also worth noting that Tippett has seen rather limited minutes and opportunities in his time with the Panthers, considering the talent and depth of the organization. Most likely, Flyers fans can look forward to seeing their young forward in the lineup soon.

The sharp money is on the Florida Panthers right now in terms of who will acquire Giroux before Monday’s deadline, though Friedman writes that the Colorado Avalanche have “not given up” as of this morning. Emily Kaplan of ESPN writes that there could be another team involved, though she too expects it to be Florida when the dust settles.

Florida of course already acquired Ben Chiarot, moved out Frank Vatrano, and have held Owen Tippett out of the AHL lineup in advance of the deadline as they attempt to go all-in this season. The Panthers are among the league’s best teams, even if they did get beaten by the struggling Vegas Golden Knights last night. Overall, Florida has a 41-14-6 record and is still in first place in the Atlantic Division.

If it is the end of Giroux’s time in Philadelphia–Friedman tweets that the captain will be held out of the lineup through the weekend even if a trade isn’t completed today–he finishes with exactly 1,000 games and 900 points with the franchise. This season has been another strong one with 18 goals and 42 points in 57 games, even if the overall results for the Flyers haven’t been what was expected. The 34-year-old is an unrestricted free agent in the summer and has yet to raise the Stanley Cup.

• The Manson trade shows that the Anaheim Ducks are officially sellers. The team has exceeded expectations this season and have continued to stick around the Western Conference playoff picture, but of late have slid outside of a reasonable chance of reaching the postseason this year. Any question as to their deadline position is now over, but the unknown remains to what extent they will sell. While Manson is a very talented player, he is not even among the top two potential rentals in Anaheim. That would be fellow defenseman Hampus Lindholm and skilled forward Rickard Rakell. Both of these players are core pieces for the Ducks and critical to their success and at 28 years old could each continue to play a major role for years to come. If Anaheim feels that they are close to contending following their strong start this season, then they could opt for extensions rather than trades for Lindholm and Rakell. Alas, Alberga reports that there are no ongoing contract negotiations with either player right now, which could imply that they will soon follow Manson out the door.
• If and when the Ducks do move Lindholm, they have set the bar high for the rental defenseman market. Manson is the first and only proven top-four defenseman to be dealt so far this season and in return Anaheim landed a 2023 second-round pick and a well-regarded 2019 second-round pick in Boston College defenseman Drew Helleson, a top-five scorer for the Eagles. Though a solid defensive asset, Manson pales in comparison to the more well-rounded Lindholm, who might be the best defenseman on the trade market. An A-level prospect and a second-round pick, or even two second-round picks, is now the baseline to which Anaheim can refer when commanding a much better return for Lindholm. Around the league, the Canadiens, Kraken, and possibly the Stars will be happy to see the Manson return knowing that their top-four rentals – Ben Chiarot, Mark Giordano, and John Klingberg – may also garner an equal or greater return.
• The Colorado Avalanche are not done either. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was quick to note that the Manson acquisition is not all that GM Joe Sakic has in mind as he chases the Stanley Cup. Especially given the cap flexibility afforded by recent injuries to Gabriel Landeskog and Samuel Girard, the door is open in Denver. LeBrun still expects the team to take a swing at Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux and have their eyes on other forwards as well.

We’ve talked before about how Claude Giroux may end up at the end of all of this, as a Florida Panther. Who are they there to see? We believe it is Owen Tippett, and we’ve talked before, Ron, about how Owen Tippett’s name is very much out there and how the Florida Panthers have let it be known that he could be available.

While Giroux to the Panthers has certainly been discussed before, and Tippett as a potential return is not news either, it is of note that a sizable contingent of the Flyers’ front office has gone to see Tippett play in person.

Tippett has been up and down for the Panthers this season, most recently having been sent down to Charlotte on February 22nd. While Tippett has not yet lived up to the potential the Panthers saw when they drafted him 10th overall in 2017, he has shown promise as of late. The 23-year-old winger has just 14 points in 42 games in the NHL this year, but he does have 10 points in eight games with Charlotte this season. Perhaps a change of scenery and an increased role with another team such as the Flyers could benefit Tippett and spark his development.

• While Marc-Andre Fleury has been seen as a much more likely trade victim in Chicago, that may not be the case after all. Chris Johnston notes that there has always been an understanding that the Blackhawks would honor Fleury’s wishes despite only limited trade protection. At this time, he hears that Fleury is leaning toward staying in Chicago through the end of the season rather than accepting a trade. It remains unclear what this means for Fleury’s future, but Davidson’s insistence on a rebuild likely means that his time with the Blackhawks will end after this season, though likely not any earlier. Should Fleury’s mindset on being traded change in the coming weeks, he will remain a highly sought-after target and Chicago could certainly benefit from the trade return.
• Another anticipated top rental target whose status is still unknown is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux. Pierre LeBrun reports that Giroux is still on the fence about moving and controls his own fate with a No-Movement Clause. The 34-year-old certainly would like a shot at a Stanley Cup and isn’t going to get one in Philadelphia this season. On the other hand, with 39 points in 49 games this season, Giroux isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and will have other chances at a title if he decides to ride out the year with the Flyers and save his next move for free agency. From the team’s point of view, Giroux will be worth an exorbitant amount if he does decide he is willing to be traded. LeBrun believes that Giroux could be considered the most valuable rental on the market and initial talks that the Flyers have had with potential suitors reflects that valuation. Philadelphia is expecting to receive a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a young roster player (or a package of equal value) for Giroux. Loyalty aside, the team has to be hoping that Giroux is open to a move.
• The Flyers face a trickier situation with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. When he was acquired this summer, the team had a different vision for how this season would play out. That involved a more obvious upward trajectory for the club, which would have made signing Ristolainen to an extension an easy call. However, given Philadelphia’s struggles and Ristolainen’s himself, it is unclear how the two sides move forward, if at all. Darren Dreger notes that the two sides are talking contract and there is a significant possibility of an extension. However, if those negotiations do not yield an agreement before the trade deadline then Ristolainen could hit the block. Despite a down year, the big, two-way defender would draw widespread interest.