Claude Giroux and Mike Babcock are still linked as Edmonton waits on one of free agency's trickier veteran calls.
The latest Elliotte Friedman update is the part that matters. He said he saw reports tying Giroux back to Philadelphia, but as of Friday night there was still no confirmation, while Edmonton remained one of the interested teams.
That leaves the Oilers in a familiar spot this summer. They are hunting for short-term help without chewing through the cap flexibility Stan Bowman has worked to protect.
Giroux fits that lane because he still brings useful offense. He finished 2025-26 with 14 goals and 35 assists for 49 points in 82 games with Ottawa.
Those are not top-line totals anymore. They are still strong numbers for a 38-year-old forward who can move around a lineup, help a power play, and win draws. Giroux posted a 63.1 faceoff rate last season.
Edmonton's interest also makes hockey sense because Babcock walked into this job talking about structure, role clarity, and getting more players involved. Giroux has lived that kind of hockey for years.
" Elliotte Friedman: “Saw reports that Claude Giroux was going back to Philadelphia. Not disputing anyone, just no confirmation as of Friday night. The Flyers were…a little busy. I do think Edmonton was one of the teams interested.” "
-
Elliotte Friedman just dropped a major Claude Giroux update
That is what keeps this from feeling like a simple Oilers add. Giroux was drafted by the Flyers in 2006 and played 1,000 regular-season games for the franchise before leaving in 2022.
So if the door is really open there, emotion gets mixed into the market fast. Rick Tocchet is now behind the Flyers bench, and Philadelphia has enough cap and roster movement to make a reunion feel believable.
Still, this is not only a sentimental file. Giroux had 50 points in 81 games the year before, then followed it with 49 in 82, which says his floor has held up well late in his career.
For Edmonton, that matters more than the nostalgia angle ever would. The Oilers do not need Giroux to carry a line. They would need him to steady one, especially if they keep saving room for a bigger deadline move.
That is why Friedman's update lands. Claude Giroux is still unsigned, Philadelphia is still hovering, and Edmonton is still close enough to be taken seriously.
And until one side closes it, the Oilers remain tied to a veteran who still looks like a real fit for what Mike Babcock wants this team to be over the next 2 seasons.
Should the Oilers push harder to sign Claude Giroux?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
The Red Wings just confirmed a major Patrick Kane development
