Alexandre Giroux

Giroux's foot speed, or lack thereof, dooms him to being a career AHL sniper, and, for the first time since '05-'06, he failed to maintain a point-a-game pace at that level. His best days, such as they were, may be behind him.

It's become clear that the AHL scoring star simply doesn't have the foot speed to make an impact in the NHL, but his signing by Columbus should make fans in Springfield happy.

Giroux would be the definition of a player with high upside. He scores goals at will in the AHL, with 110 over the past two seasons, but has yet to translate that skill to the NHL level. The Oilers need all the scoring they can get, a good camp could open up a spot for Giroux or at least keep his name on the coaches mind when it's time to call up reinforcements.

Giroux netted an impressive 60 goals in 69 games last season, and led the AHL in scoring. While he only appeared in 12 NHL games last year, look for Giroux to produce in the NHL sometime in the not-so-distant future. It seems as though he has positioned himself to make the roster this coming season, but he is on the bubble.

Giroux was acquired via trade from Atlanta in February He made his debut with the Caps in 2006-07 and played in 9 games, posting two goals and two assists. He split last season between AHL Chicago and Hershey, tallying 68 points in 69 games. He will be back at Hershey this coming season.

Giroux went 2-2-4 in nine games for the Capitals last season, and earned a career-high 70 points (42-28) for AHL Hershey in the squad's quest to a Calder Cup Finals appearance. The team is looking for scoring centers and a good camp could win him the second line center job. However, his lack of bulk and consistency will probably get him another ticket to the "A" where he will continue to rack up the points. Some potential here but everything will need to fall right for him to make an impact.

Giroux finished seventh in the AHL in goals in 2005-06 with 36, and parlayed that into a free agent contract with the Capitals. Washington is rebuilding, so Giroux would presumably have a greater chance of making the roster than with the Rangers, but he probably won't play much of a role even if he does.

Giroux could snag a fourth-line forward spot with an impressive camp. The kid can score, as he potted 32 goals and 54 points in 78 games for Hartford in the AHL last season. Plus he's feisty, as his 128 PIMs certainly attest.