It’s no secret to anyone who follows the Flyers on a regular basis, that Claude Giroux is a vital part to the teams overall success. As Giroux goes, so do the orange and black. Giroux is the engine that runs the Flyers. Last year the Captain had another solid campaign. Even with that, he still thinks he can be better, “I think everyone is on the same level, everyone liked good out there. Of course, we all can be better.”
Of course, he will tell you he has to be better. Giroux wears his heart on his sleeve and always has been a team-first guy. With the youth infusion injecting life into some veterans in the locker room, one can only hope that Giroux has another career year. At Training Camp, Giroux seems ready and willing to achieve just that, carrying a belief in himself and the infusion of youth around him, “Farabee looks like a player. He looked pretty solid.”
Giroux is injecting the locker room with belief, after missing the playoffs last season. Fresh off being a new dad, Giroux is ready to have this team compete this season. Multiple players in the locker room are feeding off Giroux, with the likes of Sean Couturier, Joel Farabee and Ivan Provorov on just day two of Training Camp, “It’s obviously disappointing the way we ended the season,” Giroux says, “It’s nice to get back with the boys on the ice. New faces, new coaches. We played with a great pace out there.”
Giroux always thinks about other people. He talks very highly of his teammates and former teammates, this is just who he is. Giroux always thinks about others before himself, “Wayne…we have been with him a long time. He’s had a big presence, a very intense guy, a great guy, but we have to move on.”
The 31-year-old in Giroux continues, and talks about being a new dad, “To get back here, and get your legs back. It was fun. It’s fun being a new dad. It’s great to get back here with the little guy, walking downtown.”
Make no mistake about it, Giroux seems poised to surpass his career-high in points from a few seasons ago. Last season, he tallied 22 goals and 63 assists for 85 points. From the way he has looked in training camp, there’s not a doubt in my mind Giroux can surpass last years totals. He looks more composed, stronger, and faster than last year. Giroux was one of the fastest skaters on the ice today, and that cannot be taken with a grain of salt. Maybe it’s the new coach in Alain Vigneault pushing him, “He’s definitely a new voice. We’ve had meetings, and everything is black and white. There is no messing around for sure.”
Giroux seems faster, and poised to have an insane season once again. If he does watch out NHL, the orange and black could be a lethal team this year.
Photo credit: Alex Mcintyre
