A little foresight never hurt anyone.
Giroux is, of course, still very young and is in the midst of his breakout season. As the team has seen with players from Eric Lindros to Mike Richards, a lot can happen over the course of a career to derail a player from a shot at glory.
Nonetheless, having one’s number retired as a Flyer is an exclusive club. It is possible that all the other players on this list have had their shot, and the next number to be raised to the rafters will come off the back of someone still wearing the orange and black.
If that is the case, Giroux seems to have the most potential. His 2011-12 campaign has already set a career high in points, and he has spent much of the year near the top of the league’s scoring race.
In order to have his No. 28 retired, Giroux will need to consistently compete with the likes of Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby and other stars for the scoring title and the Hart Trophy. He will have to be the face of the Flyers franchise for years and keep the team competitive.
But most of all, Giroux may need to win a Stanley Cup. That seems to be one of the merits required for a spot in the rafters. Four of the five players whose numbers have been retired won a Cup. Four of the five were also inducted into the Hall of Fame.
This is a tall order for Giroux. The team is in the midst of its 36th season since its last championship, and the city is as hungry as ever.
Giroux is still years and years away from being in a conversation with Ashbee, Barber, Howe, Parent and Clarke. But hockey in Philadelphia is always about taking things to the next level, and Giroux is being groomed as the next great player in the City of Brotherly Love.
