The Daily Faceoff Show: How does Claude Giroux fit into the Florida Panthers lineup?
The biggest name moved at the NHL trade deadline will debut for the Eastern Conference’s most stacked team Thursday night. Center Claude Giroux was acquired last week by the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal that sent right winger Owen Tippett and a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers.
After spending his entire career – and 1,000 games – with the Flyers, Giroux dons a different jersey for the first time when the Panthers visit the Montreal Canadiens. How will he slot into the loaded lineup? Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna broke it down on Thursday’s Daily Faceoff Show.
Frank Seravalli: Still seems a little bit odd to see Claude Giroux wearing that Florida Panthers uniform, but he’s worked his way into the lineup. I think it was a little bit of a surprise for the Panthers. I don’t know that they were necessarily expecting it this soon. But what a lineup this is for the Panthers. It’s important to keep in mind that when you take a look at this, it doesn’t include guys like Anton Lundell who are out. This is an incredibly deep and strong lineup that Florida has. We talked about the Atlantic gearing up, and they’re right there in that conversation among the top teams in the conference, not just the division.
Mike McKenna: They’re so strong top to bottom. Even with Aaron Ekblad out and injured right now, you look at how things can change and how the team can mold and adapt to get around that. No bigger example than the power play. They’re considering rolling out five forwards on their power play. Why? Because Aaron Ekblad, big right-handed shot at the point, well, he’s out. Who can you fit into that role, Frank? Oh, I know, a guy named Claude Giroux. He happens to be right-handed. He can shoot the puck. He can distribute it. He’s done this type of role previously.
I can tell you from a goalie perspective that it does make you a little bit nervous to look and see five forwards playing on the power play in front of you. You don’t have that same safety valve. But from Florida’s perspective, were they going to move Brandon Montour into that position? He’s a big piece of their secondary unit. MacKenzie Weegar, he’s played power play before in the minors, not really in the NHL. To me, it makes sense to put Giroux in this spot. We’ll see how it goes, but it’s an abundance of riches in Florida with that lineup. The depth they have up front is scary, man. You look at a guy like Carter Verhaeghe, and he can play anywhere. That’s the biggest strength of Florida. They have a lot of versatile forwards that are all skilled, that can all skate, and they can all play fast.
Seravalli: I don’t know the answer to this, but what’s the last team that used five forwards regularly on the power play?
McKenna: I can remember being in New Jersey and Ilya Kovalchuk playing entire two-minute power plays. I think that might’ve been the last time I remember five forwards. Teams have tinkered with it previously. I can’t remember the last example. It’s rare. It does happen. But, boy, without that safety valve you start to get nervous out there for a goaltender. Because you just want somebody who knows how to skate backward and defend against the rush, especially in today’s game when everybody pressures the points so hard on the kill.
Seravalli: It’s kind of nice when you have the reigning Selke Trophy winner in Aleksander Barkov on the ice. Does that kind of count as half a defenseman? I don’t know. I love the idea of it. And seeing Claude Giroux on that top power play unit is a big reason why his choice was the Florida Panthers. I think, from talking to people who know Claude Giroux well, his big question mark in going to another team like the Colorado Avalanche was, where would I fit? It wasn’t just about the chance to win. It was, where do I fit in the lineup? Where will I fit on your power play? And it wasn’t from an ego perspective. It was, if I go all-in and decide to eventually move from the only team I’ve ever known, I want it to be a place where I can continue to play a continued prominent role.
McKenna: I totally agree. I had the same reservations thinking about him going to Colorado. I didn’t know where he fit. He seems to be really good in Florida. We’ll see how it works, but on paper it’s pretty nice.
You can watch the full episode here…