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Twenty-year NHL veteran Giroux still gets nervous ahead of Senators training camp
The 38-year-old veteran signed a one-year extension and said he still feels nervous and excited as Ottawa opens camp with a fast pace.
On Thursday, Ottawa Senators veteran forward Claude Giroux began his 20th season, admitting he still feels nervous ahead of training camp. The 38-year-old signed a one-year contract extension and remains chasing his first Stanley Cup.
Following the trade of former captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, Ottawa's roster features significant changes. New additions William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky, and Samuel Ersson join the team to help fill the void left by Tkachuk's departure.
Head coach Travis Green praised Giroux's performance, saying "It looked like he was 25 again." Green also noted the 23-year-old Eklund faces pressure to perform while helping fill the team's vacancy at forward.
With the regular season beginning in less than three weeks, Green is implementing a fast pace and early structure. "We're working on our team game from day-to-day," Green said, emphasizing improvements to breakouts and D-zone coverage.
Prospect Carter Yakemchuk, selected seventh overall in the 2024 NHL draft, enters camp competing for a full-time role. The 20-year-old aims to prove his readiness after appearing in four regular-season games last year.