Chairman of the dot: Giroux leading the NHL in faceoffs again, anchoring Ottawa Senators
Way back on the first day of the Ottawa Senators 2026-27 training camp, head coach Travis Green went out of his way to praise one player. That was Claude Giroux.
“I thought ‘G’ looked great today,” he told the media back in September. “To be honest, it looked like he was 25 again.”
That observation may have been more of a prelude to what was to come for the 38-year-old. Giroux is currently the ninth-oldest active player in the NHL, but has been perhaps the most consistent Ottawa Senators skater this season.
He isn’t scoring at the same clip as a Tim Stützle or Drake Batherson, nor is he expected to at this stage in his career. But if the Senators' young core represents the team’s ceiling, Claude Giroux is undeniably the floor.
Through 17 games, the Hearst, Ont. native has recorded three goals, seven assists, 24 shots, 19 hits and a plus-7 rating.
While raw point totals will gravitate toward the Senators’ flashy top-scorers, advanced analytics reveal that Giroux provides some of the most structurally sound, mistake-free minutes on the roster.
When No. 28 is on the ice, play tilts heavily toward the offensive zone. Per NHL EDGE, Giroux’s 44.5 per cent offensive zone time ranks in the 95th percentile. Giroux’s high hockey IQ makes him the ultimate safety net for a younger, more aggressive centre like Shane Pinto or Dylan Cozens.
Even when things get ugly, such as last Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Giroux’s contributions are undeniable. It was his first multi-point game since opening night, scoring the team’s second goal and springing Michael Amadio’s breakaway with a beautiful pass to give the team a 3-0 lead.
Despite the team’s collapse, Giroux still finished the night as a plus-2, recorded three shots on goal and went 66.7 per cent in the faceoff dot.
On nights where he doesn't hit the scoresheet, Giroux’s details and level of engagement are hard not to notice. For example, he didn’t appear on the scoresheet in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Buffalo. However, he registered three shots on goal and ate up important faceoffs, going a perfect five-for-five on the night.
Giroux is once again the league’s best faceoff man. His 63.6 per cent success rate leads the league (minimum 100 draws). That’s slightly up from his 63.1 per cent that led the NHL last season.
He completely anchors the Senators' overall faceoff success, which ranks fifth in the league at 53.6 per cent. The veteran is frequently seen at practice helping the Senators’ younger centres with this aspect of their game as well, and it’s clearly working.
Giroux’s plus-7 rating also leads the Senators’ forward group. It’s second on the team as a whole behind only defenceman Artem Zub’s plus-9.
Since coming to the Senators, Giroux has only missed one game, when he was rested heading into the 2025 playoffs. As they say, sometimes the best ability is availability.
But Giroux’s intangibles can’t be measured by any stat or advanced analytic. He commands respect in the exact way you’d expect someone who wore the C for nine seasons in Philadelphia to. Even when watching from home, it’s evident how much of an emotional leader he is.
The next time you’re watching a game, just count how many times you catch the veteran giving it to a referee or getting vocal on the bench. He drags the team into the fight, much in the way former captain Brady Tkachuk was often credited with doing in this market.
The major difference between the two is that Giroux wants to be here. This past summer he hit unrestricted free agency, and there were reports he might go back to the Flyers to finish his career. In the end, he re-signed for a fifth season in Ottawa.
“I chose to come back because I want to be here,” he said shortly after re-upping for another year.
Giroux’s 1,175 points in 1,362 games rank 59th in NHL history. If he has another year in him, and keeps defying the age curve, he could crack the top 50 and strengthen his Hockey Hall of Fame case.
Is Claude Giroux a Hall of Famer?
Yes
No
Comments