By Chris DiFrancesco, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
If you lined up 10 hockey fans and asked them who they believe have the most points in the National Hockey League over the last half-decade we'd likely hear the same names.
Sidney Crosby. Alex Ovechkin. Steven Stamkos. Patrick Kane.
Then, tell them it's none of the above. Since the 2011-12 season, Claude Giroux leads the NHL in points with 367. That's pretty remarkable considering there's no Hart trophy or mainstream national attention on the Flyers captain. Giroux receives his fair share of attention but not nearly as often players like Crosby or Kane.
Giroux is a superstar. He's been so since his breakout season at age 24 in 2011-12, where he posted 93 points. Since then, Giroux has, for the most part, struggled to regain that scoring magic. Despite an 86-point campaign in 2013-14, Giroux has been a below point per game player.
Now, it's not bash on Giroux hour, so it's fair to mention he hasn't had a stable and productive line-mate since Jaromir Jagr left following the 2011-12 season.
Without a doubt Giroux is the most talented player on the Flyers roster. And other teams know this fact by now. Unfortunately, Giroux seems to have hit a few bumpy spots in the road during his prime seasons. This includes stretches of no productivity, lack of scoring talent surrounding him, and overall sketchy team play.
The Flyers and GM Ron Hextall need to figure out who and what works for their captain. The organization obviously has complete confidence in Giroux after giving him an eight-year, $66.2 million contract extension in 2013 to stay in Philadelphia. Jake Voracek exploded onto the scoring scene with his 81-points in 2014, however, his production plummeted last season with a 55-point showing.
Voracek's lack of production last season received extra criticism since the 27-year old winger carries an $8.25 million cap hit. There's no question that the abundance of talent Voracek contains could be vital for Giroux to return to that Hart Trophy like production.
Voracek's backwards 2015 season surely hurt Giroux's production being that he's a natural play-maker. If Giroux is consistently being relied upon to score goals they Flyers will struggle. Luckily, Brayden Schenn is playing as if he's finally settling in as an NHL goal scoring threat and could see his offensive numbers spike again this season.
Head coach Dave Hakstol will have another training camp, albeit a shortened one for Giroux, to figure out who can be the best linemate for his best player and more importantly most consistent. The one guarantee could be Wayne Simmonds who's scored 89 goals the last three seasons and has been a dominant presence in front of the net, a lost art in today's NHL.
If the Flyers want any solid chance at being playoff contenders, they will need Claude Giroux circa 2011 and 2013 to resurface. Talent and age aren't a question, as Giroux will turn 29 in January, so he's still at the height of his prime. But at some point Giroux is going to have to prove he's still worth that $8.275 million cap hit.
This season is a big one for Giroux and he's capable of special things. Many hope and expect to see the captain atop the leaderboards come the end of the 16-17 season. It starts with having a clean bill of health then goes right to the supporting cast. Coach Hakstol has some ammo to load up next to his star but only time will tell.
