​Maple Leafs were turned down by 1165-point legend despite offering largest contract in free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Toronto Maple Leafs apparently wanted to sign Claude Giroux.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey offered him a sizable contract but still couldn’t pull it off.In the end, Giroux returned to the Ottawa Senators.The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch actually reports, though, that the Leafs made Giroux the biggest offer:“The Citizen also reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested, along with the Edmonton Oilers. The talk is that the Leafs offered Giroux the biggest contract, but Toronto isn’t the type of market that fits the mold for the kind of player that he is.”MORE:How a 3-team Dylan Larkin, Jason Robertson trade could workIt’s fascinating that both the Leafs and Oilers, wanting to contend for a Stanley Cup, wanted Giroux, but he was fine to stay with Ottawa.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe’ll turn 39 in January, and Giroux has played with the Senators since 2022-23.At this point in his life, it makes sense to think that Giroux is concerned with a lot more than just money — particularly because his lengthy NHL career has likely done plenty of positive things for him financially already.He’s played either 81 or 82 games in each of his four seasons with Ottawa. Giroux is a reliable forward for the Senators, and he’s had 242 points through his first four seasons in Ottawa.He’s no longer a star, but he shows up each day and does his job.The Maple Leafs could’ve used that for sure, but in the end, their offer apparently didn’t have the intangible elements to it that Giroux got by staying in an environment he’s comfortable in.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement7-foot-1 draft pick is impossibly tallCale Makar is about to become a lot more expensiveSidney Crosby trade plans did a 180 for the PenguinsIt’s time to ask a serious Matthew Knies questionOilers’ Frederik Andersen signing is a massive bargain