Flyers to let Claude Giroux have final say ahead of trade deadline

The Philadelphia Flyers have now lost 13 straight games coming off Tuesday's 4-3 defeat at the New York Islanders and are counting down the weeks and months until the merciful end to a disastrous season. 

Flyers captain Claude Giroux is in the last campaign of his contract and turned 34 years old earlier this month, so many understandably assume he's in the figurative shop window ahead of the trade deadline set for March 21. However, general manager Chuck Fletcher told reporters Wednesday Giroux will have the final say on his immediate future. 

"It will be Claude's decision," Fletcher explained, according to Kristen Shilton of ESPN. "Claude has a no-move [clause] in his contract; ultimately that will be his decision [to waive]. We're at the halfway point [of the season]. We're two months to the trade deadline. We'll continue to have conversations, and ultimately a decision will have to be made one way or the other. But it'll be Claude's decision."

Giroux has played only for the Flyers since he was drafted by the organization in 2006, and he currently leads Philadelphia with 15 goals, 19 assists, and 34 points this season, per ESPN stats, However, the Flyers are dead last in the Metropolitan Division standings, and Sportsnet's Shayna Goldman recently noted a change of scenery could do wonders for Giroux and also fetch his current employer some needed assets for their rebuild.