John Chayka has been very busy this offseason trying to reshape the Maple Leafs' roster. He has signed several players to try to make the Leafs more competitive, and they do not appear to be done yet. There are rumors circulating that they are interested in signing Claude Giroux. They are one of several teams pushing to sign the veteran forward. But bringing in Giroux will only create more problems for the Leafs. It will make their roster much older, which is not where the Leafs want to be.
The Leafs do not need to add more aging players
During his prime, Giroux was one of the better forwards in hockey. He was a lock for over 60 points in a season and was a staple of the Flyers' top line. But those days are long behind him. He will be 38 at the start of the season and will turn 39 in January. Father Time has begun to catch up to him, as he only posted 49 points this past season. It was his lowest point total since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
The Leafs already have one of the oldest rosters in the league. Last season, they were the third-oldest team in the league with an average age of 30. Only the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights had older rosters. Adding a player like Giroux will only make the roster older. They will definitely become the oldest roster in the NHL. A title that no team wants to hold, especially one that has an aspiration of returning to the playoffs.
Speed has become a staple of the modern game. Teams like the Hurricanes and Panthers have been so successful because of this style of play. Their high-paced attack is very hard to counter and creates a lot of high-danger chances. This is a style of play an older roster will have a hard time replicating. They will not be able to get the same burst of speed, preventing breakaway chances. This will cause their offense to be far less effective.
There is also the concern about regression. We have already seen Giroux start to take a step back, but other Leafs players could see their skills diminish. Guys like John Tavares, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Chris Tanev are all 34 or older and are likely candidates to take a step back next season. The more regressing players a team has, the more likely they are to struggle. It creates more holes and spots where you are not getting the expected production.
While it's always fun to see your team go after a big name, Giroux is not the player he once was. He is not the savior the Leafs think he is and will only hold the team back.
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