Giroux, Fleury ponder futures as NHL trade deadline approaches

Claude Giroux holds all the cards.

The 34-year-old Flyers captain is on an expiring contract and owns a full no-move clause. His team is 19 points out of a playoff spot and the March 21 NHL trade deadline is fast approaching.

If you’re general manager Chuck Fletcher, the person in charge of remodeling a team that will have made the playoffs only once in four seasons following this one, you’d prefer moving Giroux to get something rather than watching him walk for free in the summer. But, again, Giroux is in charge here, and he’s not eager to think about his future just yet.

“To be honest, I haven’t talked to Chuck yet about any of this,” Giroux said on Wednesday. “I’m sure we will at one point. But right now, I’m committed to this team, start winning some hockey games and keep working as a team here.”

Fletcher, when asked, has continued to say it’s Giroux’s decision. The forward has spent his entire 988-game NHL career with the franchise and is having another productive season with 16 goals and 37 points. (His 1,000th NHL game is scheduled for four days before the trade deadline.) But with the Flyers wanting to “aggressively retool,” and Giroux having only advanced out of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs once since 2011-12, how much does he want to chase a title this year before determining his future in the summer?

Plenty of contenders would love to add Giroux. And hey, if he really loves being in Philadelphia, he could always re-sign during free agency — of course, on a deal carrying a much-lower salary cap hit than his current one of $8.275 million.

“The organization here, it’s been great for me for the last 14 years,” Giroux said. “They treated me the right way, I had a chance to play with a lot of great