The Philadelphia Flyers are making headlines as the NHL trade deadline approaches. We’re barely two weeks away from the March 8th deadline, and first-year general manager Danny Briere has some decisions to make.
One of those key considerations concerns defenseman Sean Walker. Walker was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the Ivan Provorov trade last summer. That was Briere’s first move as general manager, and it already seems promising. It might get even better depending on what the Flyers do with Walker.
The 29-year-old defenceman is a free agent this offseason and is eligible for a raise after earning $2.65 million this season. He’s shown to be a fine second-pair defender for the Flyers, but his best use may be as a trade component to help stock the pantry for the rebuild.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet addressed the Walker situation on this week’s 32 Thoughts show.
“I believe there was a point when some thought the Drysdale acquisition forced Walker out. “I absolutely believe that the thinking has changed there,” Friedman stated. “I was one of them, too. I got the signals that Drysdale was pushing Walker out. I’m no longer certain about that.”
We, too, believed that the inclusion of Drysdale expanded the opportunities for a Walker deal. However, with Rasmus Ristolainen’s recent injury and some concerns on the right side of the defense, dealing Walker may not be a no-brainer.
“I find it incredibly fascinating. Philadelphia … They’re playing cards. They are playing poker. They’re attempting to sign people, but they say, ‘Hey, there’s a limit.’ But they’re also charging hefty charges for men. It’s almost as if they’re waiting to see which comes first: we get what we want or the player signs,” Friedman explained. “I believe the pendulum in Walker’s case has definitely swung to ‘We prefer to keep him.'”
“I believe one of the reasons is that Drysdale is a really great player, but he is still very young and is learning how to defend, and I believe they believe that if Walker left, Drysdale will be pushed to do things he is not yet ready to do. So I believe that is part of this process. So, yeah, but I believe it has to be at Philadelphia’s number.”
Before you get out your pitchforks and torches, keep in mind that the Flyers could simply be conducting due diligence on Walker. Assume a team does not want to give up a first-round pick for the veteran defensemen. The Flyers must show weakness and give in, especially given their current position in the standings and the fact that this is Briere’s first (of many) significant trade deadlines.
At the same time, not relocating Walker would create a lot of questions in Philadelphia. That could indicate that the Flyers believe they can move Ristolainen and his $5.1 million cap burden through 2027 while keeping Walker on a shorter-term contract with a somewhat lower cap hit.
According to Friedman, the Flyers are looking to pay Walker in the mid-to-low $4 million area, while the defenseman wants closer to $5 million. Ultimately, trading Walker appears to be the ideal decision for the rebuild, but signing him to a modest contract with the intention of moving Ristolainen in the offseason (which should be easier with the salary cap set to climb) may not be a bad backup plan.
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