Claude Giroux signed a one-year contract with the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. It has a base salary of $2 million with bonuses that could reach a maximum value of $4.75 million.
The 37-year-old forward had 50 points (15 goals, 35 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Senators and five points (one goal, four assists) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Giroux could have become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.
"A lot of work was put in the last three years; it wasn't always fun, but it was steps that needed to be made," Giroux said Wednesday. "The relationships I have with the guys on the team, it's very important for me and it's something I want to see through. I just want to get started here.
"When you go (to) free agency, you have to look at your options; that's just life. But every time that me and my family talked about it, it always came (back to) that we like it here. We like the fans, I love my teammates, we just like everything about it. The more we talked about it, it's something we wanted."
Ottawa (45-30-7) was the first wild card in the Eastern Conference this season, its first playoff appearance since 2017.
"I've been here for three years, and the direction of where the team's going and the strides that we've taken the last few years -- especially last year -- it's just something I'm excited about and something I want to be a part of," Giroux said.
Selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (No. 22) of the 2006 NHL Draft, Giroux has 1,116 points (365 goals, 751 assists) in 1,263 games for the Flyers, Florida Panthers and Senators and 86 points (29 goals, 57 assists) in 101 postseason games.
“Claude brings veteran leadership and a competitive edge to our group and has been a consistent presence on and off the ice,” Ottawa general manager Steve Staios said. “We are excited to bring him back next season.”
