The Philadelphia Flyers have found an anomaly in defenseman Sean Walker, but he has a contract that expires in the offseason. Even though he has had a tremendous season to this point, there is a good chance that he will be dealt before the trade deadline. If he is, he could have several suitors who could be willing to give up a decent package for him. What might those teams be, and what could they be offering?
Vancouver Canucks
While the Vancouver Canucks already made a splash to acquire defenseman Nikita Zadorov, they could still use another. Walker checks a lot of their boxes, and can help to make them a better team in transition. When Carson Soucy eventually returns from injury, they will still likely have one of Tyler Myers or Noah Juulsen on the right side of their defense. This is manageable, but they can get a significant upgrade and one that can be impactful in both the regular season and the postseason.
One of the major reasons to doubt the Canucks entering this season was their depth. To their credit, they have been able to get some good scoring from their bottom-six offensively, while they have held up defensively. It is no secret that Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek have led the way on the latter front, both playing the best hockey of their careers. Walker could very likely be the third-best defenseman on the blue line for them, and that’s a big asset for a team that has aspirations of potentially winning their first Stanley Cup this season.
There is a chance that the Canucks sign defenseman Ethan Bear from free agency, but he is also coming off shoulder surgery. It should only be a little while longer before he is actually able to suit for game action, so Walker could be off their trade list entirely at that point. If they can’t land him, they’d be in a position where they could use a right-handed defenseman.
Vancouver doesn’t have the strongest prospect pool, and players like Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander are unlikely to be available for what will probably be a rental in Walker. However, Vasily Podkolzin has not been able to find his way with the Canucks, and a future trade seems imminent. The 22-year-old only played 39 games in the NHL last season, so he could be a nice pickup for the Flyers. As for the draft pick the Canucks would be giving up, a 2025 second-round pick seems fair.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are in a clear position to land a solid right-handed defender. While his strengths lean offensively, that should not deter an Oilers team that has one of the worst team save percentage (SV%) totals in the entire NHL. An aggressive blueliner that can start chances through his willingness and savvy ability to pinch effectively would be a nice addition for Edmonton.
The Oilers have a relatively weak right side of their defense, at least among playoff teams. Evan Bouchard is one of the truly elite offensive defensemen in the league, but aside from him, they could use an upgrade. Cody Ceci and Vincent Desharnais have done quite well for what they are asked to do, but Walker can handle top minutes on top of being a potential spark offensively.
It could be argued that Walker’s biggest strength is his ability to help generate 5-on-5 offense. By no means are the Oilers a bad team in regard to their offense at 5-on-5, but their power play provides a significant amount of their offense. Being able to put the puck in harm’s way for just a little bit longer when Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl are on the ice would be an upgrade over what the team has now.
In terms of an actual package for a trade, there are many ways that a deal could go. Goaltender Jack Campbell is earning $5 million average annual value through the 2026-27 season, and Edmonton might want to shed that salary to be able to make further moves, given his struggles to this point. The Flyers are in a position where they’d be willing to take on that kind of money, but that would be a hard contract to swallow considering its length. For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume that the Oilers have the cap space to make Walker’s $2.65 million AAV contract work, whether that be through a long-term injury or shedding some salary through a trade.
Related: Oilers’ Philip Broberg Should be Moved to Forward
22-year-old defenseman Philip Broberg is becoming more and more expendable for Edmonton as time passes, and that is good news for the Flyers. They could use a left-handed defenseman plug, and it would come at little cost in all likelihood. If the Flyers are indeed sellers at the trade deadline, that would mean they need some roster spots to fill not just in the NHL, but the American Hockey League (AHL) as well. With that being said, 23-year-old Raphael Lavoie could be a useful player for the Flyers. He hasn’t scored a point in the NHL in his six games there, but has been productive in the AHL. If he is included, the value of an additional draft pick they’d be looking for would not be as good as the Flyers might hope.
If the Oilers are willing to even give up players like Lavoie and Broberg, a 2026 third-round draft pick seems about right. To give the Flyers something else, a smart condition for that pick would be if Walker re-signs with the Oilers, it becomes a second-round pick in 2026. Since defenders are pretty expensive at the deadline, the asking price has to be high. This is a unique way for the Flyers to bolster their young core immediately while also getting some draft compensation.
Toronto Maple Leafs
On the injury front for their defense, things have been a disaster for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mark Giordano is week-to-week, while John Klingberg and Timothy Liljegren are on injured reserve. Despite these injuries, Walker would still be a need for the Maple Leafs even if they were healthy. Simply put, their defense is not good enough to win a Stanley Cup as is, and it is very likely that they will go out and make a splash before the trade deadline passes.
To this point, the Klingberg experiment for the Leafs has been an utter disaster. They don’t really need him for their power play, so Walker could make for an excellent replacement to boost Toronto’s offense. The Maple Leafs could really use a player to help them in transition. As long as Liljegren is out of the lineup, it could be argued that Walker is only behind Morgan Rielly in terms of rankings among their blueliners.
In a trade, Klingberg is an obvious choice to make the salary work for both sides. However, it would cost Toronto more if he was used as a cap dump. As it stands, the Maple Leafs will have over $50 million to spend in the offseason, so Walker could easily earn an extension. With this in mind, it would cost Toronto not only their first-round draft pick in 2024 with top-10 protection, but also a player like forward Alex Steeves, a 23-year-old who has played fantastic in the AHL but someone who hasn’t been able to play for them. This package is hefty, but the Maple Leafs need to make a move if they want a Stanley Cup. Since Toronto gave up more for Ryan O’Reilly last deadline, the asking price for a good second-pairing defender should be equally as high.
Teams could have less interest in Walker as time moves along, but right-handed defenders come at a premium in the NHL. If a contender wants to land him, they have to give up some capital. Canadian teams are especially in need of defenders, and they could be competing to acquire him in the coming months.