In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois spoke to the media and gave an update on some pending free agents, Isaac Howard, and more. Elsewhere, Claude Giroux is set to become a free agent, and he will have a decision to make on whether or not he returns to play with the Ottawa Senators or not.
BriseBois Speaks on Lightning Free Agents & Isaac Howard
As is usually the case in an end-of-season media availability, there are a lot of things that are said by a general manager that get people talking. There were two things coming out of the Lightning’s availability, and specifically from BriseBois, that caught the attention of many.
BriseBois stated that it is very unlikely that all of the free agents return, which makes sense for any team, but especially given the cap constraints, that was expected. Yanni Gourde, Cam Atkinson, Luke Glendening, Nick Perbix, and Jonas Johansson are the only players on the list of unrestricted free agents. Gourde and Perbix played important roles on this team at the end of the season and into the playoffs, while Glendening and Atkinson were depth pieces, and Johansson was the backup goaltender.
There is always a lot of turnover with depth in teams, so expecting them all to come back would have been unrealistic. With how well most of them fit with the team, BriseBois will likely take a run at a few of them and try and bring them back. With just over $8 million in projected cap space, and Gage Goncalves as a restricted free agent, it could be possible to get them all back, but turnover can be a good thing.
Isaac Howard, Michigan State University (MSU Athletic Communications)
As for Howard, this kind of feels like another version of the Rutger McGroarty situation with the Winnipeg Jets. Howard is a great prospect, and having just won the NCAA’s Hobey Baker to back that up, he may look to exercise his right not to sign with the Lightning.
It seems like a simple process to get a prospect to sign. A team drafts a player, and then, when they are ready, gives them a contract, and the player earns their spot on the team, right? Well, over the past few seasons, prospects, especially from the NCAA, have been exercising their ability to not sign with the team and either be traded or let go as a free agent, and be able to choose a team, should that team have interest.
Related: Lightning Trading Isaac Howard Would Be the Best Option
During the media availability, BriseBois stated, “When I chatted with Isaac, he was pretty candid, and I appreciated his honesty, and I thank him for his honesty…he values the opportunity to choose the club that he believes is the best fit for him. And I won’t speak for him, but he values that. Right now, I would say it’s unlikely that we will sign him.”
There seems to be a lot more transparency, honesty, and respect in this situation than there was with McGroarty, as well as Cutter Gauthier. Odds are that the Lightning will trade Howard, whom they selected 31st overall in 2022. The return could very well be similar to the deal that the Jets made with the Pittsburgh Penguins, being two high-end prospects swapped for one another. The Lightning could use him as a trade chip to upgrade the roster, but with Howard not having a cap hit, it would be hard to pull off given their limited cap space.
Giroux’s Future as an Ottawa Senator Is Undetermined
In the Senators’ locker room cleanout availability, Giroux met with the media and was asked about his future.
At 37 years old and an upcoming free agent, the question about retirement has to be there, but when given the prompt, he stated, “It’s still early. I haven’t given it any thought. I haven’t really talked to Steve [Staios] yet. I love the players, the fans, the city, this year is the most fun I’ve had in a few years. Coming to the rink was a lot of fun. Pretty tight locker room. A lot of good things.”.
Giroux has done wonderful things in Ottawa. Whether you want to look at his on-ice performance, his mentorship as a captain with Brady Tkachuk, or his leadership role on the team, he has been one of the best free agency signings that the Senators have ever made.
Now, at his age, he has understandably started to slow down. He saw another dip in his point total, but still gathered 50 points this season. His defensive game dropped off a bit, but he is still reliable. It is the common things that come with age. But with all of that being said, he still feels like he has lots in the tank. He is from the Ottawa area and has already taken a discount to sign with the Senators.
It is unclear what the exact plan is, but odds are that he will be returning to Ottawa at a lower price than his $6.5 million cap hit he had carried for the past three seasons.
