Oilers eyeing Claude Giroux in free agency

One team that could potentially be pursuing center Claude Giroux in free agency is the Edmonton Oilers, according to Pierre Lebrun of the Athletic. Lebrun said the following in his most recent Rumblings article:

“There are clubs lurking, hoping to have a chance at Giroux, 34, come July 13. One of those teams, I’m told, is the Edmonton Oilers. In the event that the Oilers can’t re-sign Evander Kane, I was told over the weekend that the Oilers have internally discussed the merits of trying to sign Giroux. He has played primarily wing the last few years, but also remains a top faceoff guy and still obviously impactful offensively.

"Giroux playing either with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl has plenty of appeal. I think one of the key elements regardless of where Giroux ends up is signing more than a one-year deal. He’s got two young boys and I don’t think the veteran player and his wife want to keep moving around year to year. Teams that step up with a two- or even three-year deal will have a better shot. But so will teams with a shot at winning. Which the Oilers represent after a trip to the Western Conference Final.”

Giroux heads into free agency after finishing his eight-year deal with an $8.275M cap hit, a deal he originally signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was dealt to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline in pursuit of a Stanley Cup, only for the Panthers to be swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 34-year old is coming off a 21 goal and 65 point season in 75 games, including 23 points in 18 games with the Panthers, and has 294 goals and 923 points in his career.

The Oilers are fresh off a Western Conference Final appearance that saw them get swept by the Colorado Avalanche. They have several free agents to deal with, including pending unrestricted free agents Evander Kane and Brett Kulak, and restricted free agents Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Ryan McLeod, with just under $5.5M in cap space due to the $9.25M Darnell Nurse extension kicking in. According to reports, Duncan Keith and Mike Smith may potentially retire, which would help alleviate cap space, along with rumours that they may move Puljujarvi as well.