A year ago, the Philadelphia Flyers were having little success. The team was on track to miss the playoffs for the third time in a row, and fan apathy was rampant. But any hockey fan may be enthusiastic about the trade deadline. Even the most miserable clubs can make strides toward returning to prominence or at least creating much-needed excitement.
However, the 2023 trade deadline proved to be more of the same for the Flyers. General manager Chuck Fletcher failed to move the needle, making small depth moves by parting ways with Zack MacEwen and Patrick Brown, resulting in only two late-round draft picks. Fletcher’s inability to find a taker for James van Riemsdyk, an overpriced but nonetheless moderately competent third-line winger in his final year of contract, caused ownership to lose faith in him. He got dismissed exactly one week after the deadline.
It would have been reasonable for current GM Danny Brière to sit out this season. The Flyers presently hold a playoff spot. There was a case to be made for signing Sean Walker to an extension, just as Brière eventually did with Nick Seeler. However, if the Flyers are to make this reconstruction a success, they will require a lot of high-quality assets.
The Erik Johnson and Wade Allison transactions have their advantages and disadvantages, but none is a game changer. Walker is being traded in exchange for Colordado’s 2025 first-round draft pick. Walker was the simplest way to add another element to the team’s future, which is more important than winning now.
Flyers have rarely made major deadline moves in recent years.
Yes, there is an immediate contrast to the headline. The Flyers were involved in one of the most significant deals prior to the 2022 deadline, sending long-time captain and club icon Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers. Giroux was outstanding in Sunrise, collecting 23 points in 18 regular-season games and eight points in ten playoff games for the Panthers, who won their first playoff series since 1996 with him. However, the Flyers fared well, transforming Owen Tippett from a stalled first-round pick into a top-six winger. They also acquired a 2024 first-round pick and used the 2023 third-round pick to choose Denver Barkey, the Ontario Hockey League’s third-leading scorer.
Aside from that, the Flyers haven’t made a significant trade deadline move since selling Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen in 2015. Wayne Simmonds was a huge name on the move in 2019, but he only got pre-breakout Ryan Hartman and a fourth-round pick in exchange.
The Flyers have had plenty of opportunities to make a major statement. Scott Laughton was on the market in 2021, but the Flyers elected to re-sign him to a five-year, $15 million contract. The team could have doubled down on focusing on the future in 2022, but instead, they signed Rasmus Ristolainen to a five-year agreement with a $5.1 million cap charge. Instead, the Flyers’ most significant move as sellers since 2015 was acquiring a third-round pick for Justin Braun two years ago.
Even when the team has been buyers, they have never made a significant impact. The team has made the playoffs three times under the tenures of its three most recent general managers (Brière, Fletcher, and Ron Hextall). They made no moves in 2016, and only added Petr Mrázek in 2018 due to injuries to their primary and backup goaltenders. When they were better than a bubble club (2019-20), they only used a fourth and fifth-round pick to bring in fourth-liners Derek Grant and Nate Thompson.
Why Was Walker the Piece to Move?
There were a few notable players the Flyers may have traded. Seeler was an appealing option for many teams because of his defensive skills, hard-nosed playstyle, and low cap hit ($775,000). Laughton might have returned at least a second-round pick and is similar to previous deadline picks Blake Coleman and Artturi Lehkonen, both of whom played key roles on Cup-winning teams.
However, Seeler was never a candidate to bring back a large haul. His extension price ($2.7 million cap hit) is likely far lower than retaining Walker. Laughton is still under contract for two more seasons and is an important member of the team’s leadership group.
Walker, on the other hand, has only been with the Flyers for less than a year. He plays a position (right defense) where the organization has a significant advantage. Travis Sanheim is signed through 2030 and loves to play on the right side. Ristolainen’s contract goes through 2027 and will be difficult to move. Jamie Drysdale was recently acquired in a blockbuster deal for Cutter Gauthier, and he’s an important component of the team’s aspirations.
That’s three solid right defenders right there. Oh, there are other prospects on the way. There’s Ronnie Attard, a 24-year-old who won’t be exempt from waivers next season but has performed well in the American Hockey League. Oliver Bonk, a first-round pick last year, has raised his profile with a solid season with Barkey for the OHL’s London Knights.
So, when you consider the lack of a future roster position, the cost of an extension, and the opportunity to receive a very impactful return, it simply made too much sense not to move Walker. The 2023-24 Flyers will miss him, but the team should be grateful for the move in the years ahead.
Where the Flyers are now.
The Flyers have eight picks in the first two rounds of the 2024 and 2025 NHL drafts. They have Florida’s 2024 first (via the Giroux trade) and recently acquired Colorado’s 2025 first in exchange for Walker and Ryan Johansen’s contract. Both picks are top-10 protected, although the stipulation is unlikely to come into effect.
The Flyers also possess a second-round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets, who can choose whether it is in 2024 or 2025. As part of the Gauthier-Drysdale trade, the Anaheim Ducks also own a 2025 second-round pick. The Flyers don’t have a second-round pick this year because they traded it to the Carolina Hurricanes for Tony DeAngelo in the 2022 summer. However, the league has provided them with a compensatory second-round pick in exchange for not signing Jay O’Brien, a first-round pick in 2018.
Philadelphia also has four more picks in the fifth and sixth rounds over the next two years, despite having traded their 2024 and 2026 fifths, as well as their 2024 fourth. However, the team has an above-average quantity of draft capital. The Flyers are attempting to establish themselves as a stable, consistent challenger. Trading Walker gives them a higher chance of success than resigning him. And that made the decision easier than it would have appeared.
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