All-Star MVP Claude Giroux Not The Only Flyer Who Could Be On The Move

What a weekend for Claude Giroux.

As Metropolitan Division captain, the longtime Flyers’ leader skated away with MVP honors at Saturday’s All-Star Game.

Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux) is your 2022 @Honda #NHLAllStar MVP! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/IuHStowthi

— NHL (@NHL) February 6, 2022

Making his seventh career All-Star appearance, Giroux tallied three goals and an assist. The Metropolitan Division earned the $1 million winner’s prize in the 3-on-3 tournament by knocking off the Pacific Division by a score of 6-4, then taking out the Central Division in the final, 5-3.

With rivals like Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Evgeny Kuznetsov of the Washington Capitals as his allies, Giroux put up a goal and an assist in the first game. He added two more goals in the second.

“It was funny how guys just wanted to win,” Giroux said after the game. “Kuznetsov was the hardest-working guy out there. I’ve never seen him work so hard for faceoffs before, even when I played against him in regular season.

“The guys, we’re having fun with it by just working hard. It’s kind of goofing around, but at the same time we want to win this. We might as well. We’re here, right?”

Giroux is the third player in Flyers history to earn All-Star MVP honors. Wayne Simmonds did it in 2017, and Reggie Leach in 1980.

Giroux Named First Star

On Monday, the 34-year-old was named the NHL’s first star of the week.

The @NHL's First ⭐️ of the Week goes to…

Who else, but @28CGiroux! #NHLAllStar https://t.co/aUn8evuo19

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 7, 2022

Giroux’s performance and leadership reflects well at this time. He could be one of the top players available to a contending team at the trade deadline. With a full no-move clause, Giroux has control over his future. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher has indicated that Giroux’s wishes will be front and center leading up to March 21.

While he put his best foot forward under a bright spotlight in Vegas, Giroux did not show his cards regarding those future plans.

“I’m not gonna think about this right now,” he said. “I think, just enjoy the weekend. There’s a lot of things to figure out, but that’s for another day.”

Ristolainen Headlines UFA Defensemen

While Giroux has garnered most of the attention so far, he’s not the only Flyer whose contract is set to expire at the end of this season. Philadelphia’s two-game winning streak before the break was an encouraging development. But with a playoff berth all but out of reach, other players could also be on the move.

Currently, Chuck Fletcher has only three defensemen under contract for next season — Ryan Ellis, Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim.

Rasmus Ristolainen tops the list of potential UFAs.

For the most part, the 27-year-old has delivered as advertised this season. He leads the Flyers with 144 hits and is averaging more than 21 minutes per game. And while Ristolainen’s minus-10 is the second-worst mark on the team among defenseman, behind only Keith Yandle, he shows better in more advanced metrics. Ristolainen ranks third among Flyers defensemen with an expected goals rate of 48.1%, according to Natural Stat Trick.

But with just 11 points in 41 games so far this season, Ristolainen’s 0.27 points per game are his lowest since his second NHL season, in 2014-15. Even though Ryan Ellis hasn’t been ahead of him on the depth chart on the right side, as expected, Ristolainen’s offensive contributions have been sparse.

Fletcher paid a big price to acquire the big Finn from Buffalo in July, giving up a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, a second-round pick in 2023 and defenseman Robert Hagg. In a recent media availability, Fletcher indicated that his preference would be an extension. But if Ristolainen is not so inclined, or makes any indication that he’d prefer to play somewhere else, it would be in the Flyers’ best interest to move him out as soon as possible. That way, they can recoup some or all of what was paid last summer.

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Other Veteran Depth Available

At 34, Justin Braun has had a strong season in a larger-than-expected role. Depth defensemen are always highly coveted by playoff teams, especially when they play the right side. He could draw a nice return.

Three other blueliners are also headed toward unrestricted free agency: Yandle, Kevin Connauton, and Nick Seeler. Yandle has a no-trade clause in his deal.

Another player who could be a trade target for a contending team is goaltender Martin Jones. The 32-year-old is no stranger to postseason action. He has 60 playoff games on his resume, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, while he was with the San Jose Sharks.

Jones’ personal numbers this season leave a bit to be desired — a 3.56 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and -5.1 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck. But general managers often value goalies’ records above all else — we see that in how they cast their votes for the Vezina Trophy every year.

On that front, Jones has delivered decent results in Philadelphia. He’s carried a decent workload and is 6-8-2 for the year.

Up front, veteran forwards Derick Brassard and Nate Thompson are also headed for unrestricted free agency. Thompson is on the shelf for a while, but Brassard is expected back in action in the not-too-distant future.

With a relatively light schedule in February, the Flyers will return to practice on Tuesday. This week, they’ve got a home-and-home with the Detroit Red Wings, starting Wednesday at Wells Fargo Center.