After scoring an AHL record 75 goals last season, Alexandre Giroux was hoping he'd be a show-in to make an NHL club this year.
However, as the Washington Post reports, Giroux didn't get an offer this summer and is trying to make the Capitals' roster.
"I was surprised that somebody who needed goal scoring didn't sign him," Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau told the paper. "Because his history is that he's always been able to score, and history says that if you can score in the American Hockey League, and you get minutes here, you're going to score in the NHL."
Giroux, 28, has been competing hard to make the Capitals during training camp. He's one of just two players to appear in each of the team's first three pre-season games, but he hasn't blown away the competition, despite scoring in his first game.
"He's still in the mix," Boudreau said. "We didn't expect him to score like he did at the American League level. He's playing a lot, there's a spot or two to be had, and he's going to get another chance and then evaluate more. But it's going to go down to the end."
Sitting on a one-year, two-way contract, Giroux is hopeful he can lock in a spot with the Capitals.
"I scored 75 goals last year," he told the Post. "But I have to show that I can play defensively and match the intensity of the game."
Files from:
Washington Post
[ From the Editor ]
A couple of injuries on the roster could help Giroux at least start the season in Washington. Eric Fehr and Thomas Fleischmann might not make it for the opening game, but Giroux better bring his A-Game is he wants to play long-term. -- David Pagnotta
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