Top 3 reasons the Capitals should stay away from Claude Giroux

The Washington Capitals should not trade for Claude Giroux. Nope. They shouldn’t even think about it.

It is likely the Philadelphia Flyers are going to trade away their star captain as the franchise enters a rebuild or a retool. The Flyers are currently at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 18-30-11 record which is good for 47 points.

Giroux has been a staple of some good Flyers teams. He’s been around the organization for all 15 of his seasons in the NHL. That stretch includes 10 as a captain. He’s also in the final season of an eight year contract which is why the Flyers could be open to shopping him. Here’s 3 reasons why Giroux in D.C. won’t work.

#3 Age

Giroux is 34 years old and it’s bad enough the Caps are stacked with many players in their 30’s in their lineup. Good teams need a balance of veterans and youth, especially on the Capitals forward front. Adding another player in his 30s that could be just a rental could be costly. We’ve seen it cost them in the past.

Now Giroux is putting together a productive season, don’t get me wrong. 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points isn’t too shabby for a player at 34 but if the Caps want speed to burn some teams in the playoffs, adding a 34 year old midseason won’t help the equation.