Senators re-sign Claude Giroux to one-year extension

According to multiple reports, the Ottawa Senators have reached an agreement on a new contract with veteran forward Claude Giroux.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first had the news that the agreement was reached, and Bruce Garrioch shared that the deal was for one year at a base salary of $2 million with a ceiling of $4.5 million with bonuses for games played, making the playoffs and winning a series in play.

Giroux, 37, is a native of Hearst, Ontario, and his decision to come play for Ottawa three years ago represented a major homecoming.

In the three seasons since, Giroux has remained highly productive offensively, putting up 79, 64 and 50 points in his three campaigns in the black and red.

The veteran forward just wrapped up a three-year contract that carried a cap hit of $6.5 million per season, and in his last year on the deal, he helped the club return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017.

The Sens finished the season 45-30-7 and lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round as the two Ontario foes renewed their postseason rivalry.

General manager Steve Staios will look to add to his promising group, and maintaining Giroux’s veteran presence in the locker room is a solid start to the offseason.

Barring any more new deals, Staios and his front office will have about $7.2 million in salary cap space with which to maneuver, according to PuckPedia, though it is possible that Ottawa will not spend to the cap.

The team’s current salary commitments check in at $88.2 million.

Giroux, a longtime Philadelphia Flyer, is a key member of the team’s leadership group, wearing an “A” on his jersey, and he is by far the most experienced player on a roster with impressive, emerging young talent.