Claude Giroux could be Jim Hiller's next Leafs add, and Toronto may already be leading the money race.
That is what makes this latest Elliotte Friedman note hit harder than normal free-agent noise. It is not only that the Leafs are interested. It is that Toronto may have put the biggest number on the table.
If that is true, then this has moved past casual checking in. John Tavares left a big hole in the room, and the Leafs still need another veteran forward who can settle a game down when things start getting loose.
Giroux still looks like that kind of player. In 2025-26, he played all 82 games for Ottawa and put up 14 goals with 35 assists for 49 points.
He also stayed elite on draws. Giroux won 63.1% of his faceoffs last season, and that is exactly the sort of detail Toronto has lacked when the game gets tight.
The Leafs cannot really sell pure momentum right now. They finished 32-36-14 with 78 points, then closed the year on a 7-game losing streak.
That is why Hiller's pitch has to be about role and trust. Giroux would not need to carry a line at 38. He would need to stabilize one.
"Friedman on 32 Thoughts says he actually thinks Toronto might've bid the most money for Claude Giroux (mentions Giroux is waiting to see if anyone can change his mind) "
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Leafs reportedly make massive push for Claude Giroux with biggest offer yet
That is the real tension in this story. Friedman's point about Giroux waiting to see if anyone can change his mind suggests this is not only about dollars. It is about fit, comfort, and whether one more shot in Toronto feels worth it.
The Leafs at least have a hockey case. Giroux has 1,345 NHL games and 1,165 career points, which is the résumé of a player who can still help a contender without needing star billing anymore.
Toronto also has room for exactly this type of add. The club scored 253 goals and gave up 299 last season, which says the problem was never only talent. It was too much chaos.
Giroux does not fix everything. He does give the Leafs another smart puck touch, another faceoff answer, and another veteran who has seen every kind of game there is.
That is why the biggest-bid angle matters so much. If Toronto really is leading on money, then the Leafs are telling Giroux he is not a fallback option. He is one of the offseason priorities.
Now it comes down to him. Claude Giroux may be waiting, but the Leafs sound like a team trying hard to make sure the wait ends in Toronto.
Should the Leafs outbid everyone to sign Claude Giroux?
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