3 awesome suitors for Sean Walker at the trade deadline
If the Philadelphia Flyers ultimately decide to sell at the trade deadline, Sean Walker is one player they will likely end up moving elsewhere.
It’s always a mystery whether the Philadelphia Flyers will end up trading their top assets away at the deadline to forge a rebuild or if they will hang onto them. While it’s still 50-50, let’s assume a few scenarios should they look to rebuild the team despite a strong run and sell at the deadline.
That said, this article is by no means assuming that the Flyers will be sellers, but instead it provides a few possible scenarios if they decide to move players over the next couple of weeks. Sean Walker is one name we have constantly seen brought up, so there is a good chance that he won’t be around the City of Brotherly Love if general manager Daniel Briere sells.
Sean Walker will most likely go elsewhere if the Flyers sell
Should they move Walker, there is a good chance the Flyers will get more than a fair return for the versatile defenseman, especially if he goes to the second team listed. But Teams 1 and 3 could also overpay for Walker, as he could easily factor in as one final puzzle piece for both organizations to make a legitimate deep playoff run.
While Walker would remain a valuable player for the Flyers beyond this season, the fact he is a pending unrestricted free agent and would be looking for more money and perhaps a four-plus year extension isn’t the most feasible scenario for Philadelphia. By trading Walker for future assets and picks, they can let the 29-year-old go while still getting something for him.
Given his experience, expect quite a few teams to join the sweepstakes, but as implied earlier, three jump out more than the others.
The Tampa Bay Lightning could use one more defenseman in their latest quest for the Cup
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s best days may be behind them, but they remain legitimate playoff contenders for at least one more season. Better yet, Tampa has shown they can win by outscoring even the toughest defensive teams in the NHL. The problem, however, is that the Lightning have struggled all season in stopping opponents when they don’t control the puck.
Through 57 games, Tampa has allowed an eye-popping 193 goals, which is 27th in the NHL as of February 21st. While starting the season without goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a major reason behind this, the 29-year-old has yet to play like the consistent perennial Vezina contender we have come to know him as.
His backup, Jonas Johansson, hasn’t stepped up in most outings despite posting two shutouts. And while Tampa could instead opt for one more goaltender, it may not help as they are allowing nearly 30 shots on goal per game. This shows us that the goaltenders may not be the complete issue, but instead, it’s more likely that they need at least one more skater in the lineup who can play sound defense.
Walker would bring a two-way approach to Tampa
Enter Sean Walker, who remains on pace to land career-highs in categories like blocks (87) and hits (75). He already has 29 takeaways, and that number will continue to trend north. Further, his possession metrics at even strength and 5-on-5 imply he’s good at finding ways to get the puck up-ice and to help set up scoring opportunities.
This is reflected in his offensive zone starting percentage, which sits at 53.3, plus a respective Corsi and Fenwick For Percentage of 52.7 and 54.9. For Tampa, they would land a blueliner in Walker, who may help take pressure off of the goaltending duo, leading to more wins.
The Colorado Avalanche are another team whose blue line could use an upgrade
Like the Lightning, the Colorado Avalanche are another team looking to outscore opponents amidst so-so defense and goaltending. And Colorado’s numbers aren’t too far from Tampa’s, as they are second in goals scored with 212 and 20th in goals allowed with 182.
Once again, we’re looking at a team allowing one too many shots on goal with 29.2 per game. The 2022 Stanley Cup Champions can’t look to take back their title after watching Vegas win it all last year, allowing one too many shots.
Another common denominator is that Colorado has a goaltender capable of playing at a Vezina level in Alexandar Georgiev, given his seventh-place finish for the award just a season ago. This year, Georgiev has taken a step back, and one major reason is because Colorado can’t get in front of the puck or find a way to retake possession before opponents see scoring chances emerge.
With an 0.899 save percentage and a 2.90 GAA, Georgiev is doing what he can to stop the onslaught of shots, which currently sit at 27.9 against per game when he’s in the net, slightly lower than the overall average.
Much like the case for Tampa, someone like Walker can come in and be an instant difference-maker. Not only will he block a shot or two from finding the net; he will also help drive pucks from the defensive zone, taking pressure off Georgiev.
The New Jersey Devils need at least one more layer of defense to make a run
The theme of high-octane scoring but pedestrian play defensively continues with the New Jersey Devils, but this scenario is a little different. Before we dive into the specifics, we’re looking at a potential trade to a division rival currently seven points behind Philadelphia, so including the Devils may be rather puzzling.
However, the Devils figured to be one rung ahead of Philadelphia. And if the Flyers opt to rebuild, they should have no problem sending Walker to New Jersey. The Devils have plenty of prospects the Flyers could acquire in a possible trade regarding Walker, and they also possess draft capital.
Therefore, this trade isn’t out of the question if the Flyers sell, even if they remain a respectable margin ahead of their division rival. Philadelphia would benefit well here, and so will the Devils since they need to find a way to keep the pressure off their own goaltenders.
While New Jersey is only allowing 26.7 shots on goal per game as of February 21st, the issue is that they have also allowed 191 goals, which is 26th in the NHL. Ideally, Devils fans would see their team trade for a goaltender capable of blocking manageable shots on goal, but trading for someone who can help minimize defensive zone time is also a good option.
The latter is where Walker would come in, and the Devils goaltenders, should New Jersey forgo trading for one, should have a much easier time.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 21st)