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Is Senators' Claude Giroux Hall of Fame Bound?

Is the Ottawa Senators' forward bound for the Hall of Fame?

Jacob Punturi

Apr 9, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing Claude Giroux (28) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing Claude Giroux (28) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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The Ottawa Senators are an organization on the cusp. They have a core of young players like captain Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and defensemen Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson, all ready to lead the team to the organization's first playoff berth since the 2016-2017 season.

In addition to their talented core, the Senators also have one of the most experienced veterans in the NHL in forward Claude Giroux. The former Philadelphia Flyers captain enters his third season with the Sens. At age 36, he's still productive, but there's no denying he is reaching the end of a very successful career.

With that in mind, NHL Network recently posed the question: is Claude Giroux a Hall of Famer? Unfortunately and with respect to Giroux, the answer is a resounding no.

It's an interesting question posed. Giroux has accomplished a lot in the NHL, and that can't be taken away from him. A first-round pick of the Flyers back in 2006, he's come a long way from having his name forgotten by the general manager on draft night.

Over close to two decades in the NHL, Giroux has become one of the most complete players in the league. His career-best season was a 102-point campaign during the 2017-2018 season, and he has three other seasons of 85 points or better. Overall, he's recorded 350 goals and posted 1,066 points over 16 full seasons and 1,182 games in the league. He currently sits 72nd on the NHL's all-time points list.

But there isn't anything exceptional about the career Giroux's played, despite the longevity. He's never won an individual award in the NHL. So there are no scoring titles, MVP awards, or best defensive forward honors on his resume. He has been to seven All-Star games and named to the 2018 NHL Second All-Star Team, however.

Unfortunately for Giroux, his career has been good, sometimes great, but never Hall of Fame worthy. With the Flyers, he had some entertaining playoff runs and series, including a 21-point postseason in 2009-2010, but he's never hoisted the Stanley Cup. The trip to the finals in 2010 is the farthest he's been.

With the amount of points he's collected, a championship could be the thing that takes Giroux from borderline to Hall of Fame player. With the Senators, he has another shot to add his name to the Stanley Cup and give himself a chance for future enshrinement into hockey's highest achievement. Until then, he remains solidly in the camp of great NHL players just short of Hall of Fame consideration.

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Jacob Punturi

JACOB PUNTURI

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