Is Claude Giroux A Fantasy Hockey Game Changer With The Panthers?

Is Claude Giroux A Fantasy Game Changer With The Florida Panthers?

The fantasy hockey playoffs are right around the corner and every player is going to factor into a winning or losing season. It’s been an average season for Claude Giroux prior to the trade sending him to the Panthers. Now that Giroux is in Florida, what kind of fantasy outlook can we expect for the former Flyer legend?

If you don’t have Giroux on your roster, it’s probably too late to acquire him. The trade deadline passed in fantasy leagues before the actual trade deadline in the NHL. He’s owned in over 85% of ESPN leagues so you probably didn’t get your hands on him. However, if you’re lucky enough to own Giroux, you’re about to be rewarded for your patience.

The Panthers are the only team in the league averaging over four goals per game. An extraordinary mark that hasn’t been replicated in a long time. Everybody is scoring goals on the Panthers right now. Unless Giroux totally bombs, he’s going to put up points in Florida.

Case in point, McKenzie Weegar has 29 assists so far this year. ONE has come on the power play. ONE.

Giroux, 34, replaces Maxim Mamin on that top line with Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov. Giroux is arguably now playing with arguably the best player in hockey in Barkov who has 62 points in 49 games while notching a CF% of 60!

More importantly, Giroux now joins a Florida powerplay with Jonathan Huberdeau. No big deal. Huberdeau only has 65 assists in 62 games this year. We’re adding another horse to this unit? Oh boy.

It’s a stark contrast compared to the group Grioux was skating with in Philadelphia. A less than full strength Flyers team I may add with Sean Couturier having missed most of the season. Add in a Travis Konecny who is having one of the worst seasons of all NHL forwards analytically. He’s not putting the puck in the net at the level he should be.

While Giroux doesn’t have the sexiest point total, he’s played very well for the most part on the underlying numbers. For any questions about Giroux being washed, it’s probably untrue.

Claude Giroux, traded to FLA, is a versatile high-end 1st line forward who drives play at a high level at both ends of the ice and makes the players around him better. #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/xs14yfePzp

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 19, 2022

With the Flyers, Giroux wouldn’t have cracked my fantasy roster. He was a way worse option than even someone like Tyler Toffoli who’s started to really pick up points in Calgary. Giroux thus far on the season is averaging a mediocre 2.1 fantasy points per game. With the Panthers? My god. Even Sam Bennett and Mason Marchment are averaging more points than Giroux just being on this team.

Lessons Learned From Year One Of Playing Fantasy Hockey

Giroux will likely end up being a league winner for some. The Panthers are a legit Stanley Cup team and that was before they added the Flyers legend. Claude Giroux is going to see his point total soar and that’s good news for all fantasy managers that own him.