Claude Giroux's one good season extended once again...closing in on 700 points

[daver]

Those numbers are incorrect. He's 2nd to only Crosby in points this decade

NEWMANNIUM!!

 

[daver]

Giroux has had better offensive seasons 5 of 8, one of the 3 in favor for Kane was marginal during the lockout season. That coupled with the overall game of Giroux while playing the exclusively C until last year the only argument for saying Kane has been the better player is when you take into consideration cups, which is absurd.

Kane's Cup winning performances certainly aren't absurb. Nor is his peak season or his ability to carry a line of lower depth chart linemates. Their respectove PPGs over the decade is pretty representative of the difference in their value.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

He is a great player, top 10 forward of the decade. Definitely underrated, but that happens when the 3 best players of the generation play in your division.

 

[mja]

I think the thing I like most about watching Giroux is how passionately he plays the game. I really admire that. He’s so damn intense.

This is a great comment. I don't know how you watch Giroux play hockey and come away from it with anything other than being a fan. He's crazy competitive, which is a big part of the reason why he's able to perform at such a high level despite not being the fleetest of foot or having a blistering shot. He's really smart, competitive, feisty without being dirty, and has some of the best hand-eye in the biz. He's also a guy that just loves playing hockey and you can tell even from the cheap seats.

 

[bobbyking]

Best passer, play maker and PP QB in the game

Yeah he's a better passer / playmaker then McDavid LOL

 

[1865]

Yeah he's a better passer / playmaker then McDavid LOL

It’s close, Giroux actually got more assists than him last year. The thing with CM is that he’s got every part of the game tuned up to 99, but it’s not crazy to suggest some players match him in individual aspects.

 

[1865]

Being 2nd in points this decade is great, but it's important to remember he's played 100+ more games than Sid, Malkin and Stamkos, and 40+ more than Kane, Backstrom and Getzlaf.

Yes, because Giroux didn’t get injured. The others did. Durability is a major plus for a hockey player.

 

[Darren McCord]

It’s close, Giroux actually got more assists than him last year. The thing with CM is that he’s got every part of the game tuned up to 99, but it’s not crazy to suggest some players match him in individual aspects.

Ya but he is also playing with Voracek and Couts a ton. He also has way more offense coming from his backend then McDavid. I dont think the fact he got more assists last year makes him a better playmaker. He's great but he's also playing with a lot more around him.

 

[1865]

Ya but he is also playing with Voracek and Couts a ton. He also has way more offense coming from his backend then McDavid. I dont think the fact he got more assists last year makes him a better playmaker. He's great but he's also playing with a lot more around him.

He doesn’t play with Voracek too often these days, and Couturier has only hit his peak with Giroux. McDavid has Drai, so he’s hardly playing with scrubs. Giroux’s proven over many years that he’s up there with Crosby and now McDavid in playmaking.

 

[Darren McCord]

He doesn’t play with Voracek too often these days, and Couturier has only hit his peak with Giroux. McDavid has Drai, so he’s hardly playing with scrubs. Giroux’s proven over many years that he’s up there with Crosby and now McDavid in playmaking.

Never said he wasn't up there, but I do think he is still behind them a little. Still an elite player.

And ya couturier hit his peak with Giroux, but that also allowed Giroux to move to the wing. And you could say Giroux is hitting his peak with the help of Couturier too.

 

[Tripod]

Seems like a good time to post this again. Keep in mind, this was posted Sept 2017 and based in the 2016/17 season. If people actually saw this, they would have seen that bounce back was very likely to happen last year because Giroux's skills went nowhere. Some could have won a hockey pool had they believed.

 

[StoneHands]

Being 2nd in points this decade is great, but it's important to remember he's played 100+ more games than Sid, Malkin and Stamkos, and 40+ more than Kane, Backstrom and Getzlaf.

It also elimintes from the conversation any young guns who entered the league over the past decade.

Giroux is in the mix of second tier star players. He's not a Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin or Kane type player though, as some people try to suggest.

Edit, he's 12th in P/GP this decade.
NHL.com - Stats

Only on HF is durability a bad thing. The reason Giroux has a 58 point season is because he probably shouldnt have been playing but that's what he does, he plays through anything he can. It was very clear in '16-17 that he wasn't himself but the team had nobody to take his spot so they still ran him out there 20 minutes a night. This is now his 5th season at a PPG+ in the last 8 and somehow people only focus on '16-'17 and pretend like that's what he really is.

Giroux has played 40+ more games than Backstrom and Getzlaf this decade but he also has 65+ points more than both of them so I don't know what your point is. Those two wouldn't have matched his point totals if didn't miss any time and I don't think that's really a debate.

Giroux is not on Crosby, Ovechkin, or Malkin's level but I don't know why anyone would say he's not in the same tier as Kane. Giroux has 6 more points in 35 more games. Over the span of a decade that's really nothing. Kane has averaged 85 points per 82 and Giroux averages 81 points per 82. Even if we ignore than Giroux is obviously the better two-way player how is a 4 point difference over the course of a decade enough to put them in different tiers?

Also, I don't really get why people keep using 1/1/10-today as the search for points this decade. When people talk about the highest scorers of the 80's, 90's, and 2000's it's pretty much common sense that you use the 1980-81 season to 1989-90 seasons, etc. This is all just to try to downplay his rank this decade. It's also hilarious to see that your PPG list includes anyone who has played more than 25 games this decade. The entire point of the points this decade argument is to show how incredible consistent Giroux has been during his career. Using guys like Barzal who has played 100 total games is a joke and you know it's just to downplay Giroux's proper place.

Giroux is 2nd in scoring this decade and 5th in PPG among players who have played 240+ games which still allows players who have played less than 3 seasons.

 

[koyvoo]

On an aside, he shares his name with former WWF midget wrestler Dink the clown.

Claude Giroux (wrestler) - Wikipedia

 

[BritainStix]

Claude Giroux's down seasons coincided with some of the heaviest defensive minutes in the NHL and the worst coaching imagineable. He was carrying the team on his back for a long stretch because the bottom 6 was possibly the worst in the NHL.

Everyone knew when he got some support he would return to a top 3 offensive player.

 

[garret]

Are there really non-elite players that can put up a 100+ point season in recent years? You must have a very high threshold for "elite". I guess Selke finalists that score 70+ are "mediocre" now too.



Oh.

Yes there are absolutely “non-elites” that can post 100+ point seasons. Do you not remember Dany Heatley?

 

[talitintti]

Everyone knew when he got some support he would return to a top 3 offensive player.

Which of these two does he not surpass? McDavid, Malkin, MacKinnon, Crosby, Kane, Kucherov

?

 

[authentic]

A big reason why he's underrated is because he's older now. Same with Getzlaf, Wheeler and Backstrom. Giroux when he was in his first few seasons was hyped like crazy on here. Another big reason for it is because they don't score a lot of goals. Players who generally score less than 30 will always be underrated even if they are much better than most players who score more than 30, like Peter Forsberg for instance.

 

[authentic]

Yes there are absolutely “non-elites” that can post 100+ point seasons. Do you not remember Dany Heatley?

? He was elite...

 

[mja]

Yes there are absolutely “non-elites” that can post 100+ point seasons. Do you not remember Dany Heatley?

I like how you had to go all the way back to the season Giroux was drafted to even find a player you thought you could argue was non-elite and put up 100 points, and then you picked out a guy who was 2nd in goals, 4th in points, and was a 1st team all star that year.

 

[blinds]

Yes there are absolutely “non-elites” that can post 100+ point seasons. Do you not remember Dany Heatley?

Heatley did that when multiple guys were putting up 120+ point seasons. That's why I said "recent years". I wouldn't consider statistics from 10+ years ago relevant to who's elite now. It's all relative.

Besides, it's hard to argue Heatley wasn't elite when he put up back to back 50 goal and 100+ point seasons.

 

[blinds]

Which of these two does he not surpass? McDavid, Malkin, MacKinnon, Crosby, Kane, Kucherov

?

Alright your question makes no sense, but I assume you're trying to say that all those guys are better offensive players? Giroux just beat all of them other than McDavid in a full season. Therefore, last season he was the better offensive player. It's that simple. Yes, they're more talented (I might argue against some) but results matter more than talent. Most seasons Giroux isn't a top 3 offensive player. In 11-12, 13-14 and 17-18 he was though.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Eye test my friend. Laine also scores more goals than Giroux, he finished second to Ovechkin last year.

One 100 point season does not a elite player make. If you want to use that test, then there would be numerous players who could be considered "elite." Kane and Kucherov are in the same boat as Giroux, very good but not elite.

Lmao. Patrick Kane not elite?

 

[Analyst365]

Carries the team on his back right to the basement.

 

[x Tame Impala]

He's always seemed like the ideal Fantasy Hockey player. Puts up super high point production in the regular season and is a very talented player.

HOWEVER...his last 2 playoff campaigns have been pretty brutal. 3 points in 12 games is unacceptable for an elite franchise 1C. I know it's cherry picking a little bit but particularly last year against the Pens he was a disasterous no-show

 

[Tripod]

He's always seemed like the ideal Fantasy Hockey player. Puts up super high point production in the regular season and is a very talented player.

HOWEVER...his last 2 playoff campaigns have been pretty brutal. 3 points in 12 games is unacceptable for an elite franchise 1C. I know it's cherry picking a little bit but particularly last year against the Pens he was a disasterous no-show

Maybe because he was so tired from carrying the team just to get into the playoffs. He posted 18 points in the last 9 games and the Flyers still only made the playoffs on game 82.