By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Flyers training camp starts for the rookies on Monday, but many of the team's veterans are already in Voorhees well ahead of the official start of training camp on Friday, Sept. 15.
Among them is Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who has been a talking point this offseason after his point production declined again in 2016-17 to the lowest point it's been in his career, a total of 14 goals and 58 points in 82 games last season.
Giroux is well aware of how the past two years have gone and his focus this season is on putting it behind him and returning to form.
"We can keep talking about the last two years, but it's not going to make me a better player," Giroux said to Philly.com. "For sure, it bothers me. It's not the player I want to be. But like I said, I've got to put that behind me."
Giroux said he still believes he can be an elite center in the NHL and thinks he can realistically hit the 80-point mark.
"I do think I am," Giroux said. "Obviously I have to prove it, and that's why I'm excited about this year.
"I've got a lot of room for improvement. I worked hard this summer to put myself in a situation to succeed, so there's a different feel to this year coming into camp. Everybody looks pretty determined."
The Flyers could certainly use a lift from their captain if they have goals of being a playoff team in the 2017-18 season. They certainly face an uphill battle in returning to the playoffs, but if their captain can right the ship, so can the team.
A lot of it still falls on Giroux's shoulders. He's been the leader of this team for several seasons now, and with a mixed bag of results, it's time for the captain to prove he's back to farm.
