Photo Credit: Associated Press, Derik Hamilton
As the March 8th trade deadline approaches, decisions are looming for the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers will have to decide if they will trade defensemen Sean Walker, Nick Seeler and Marc Staal as the defenders are currently on expiring deals. In all three situations, there are various factors that could impact whether or not the Flyers move the aforementioned players.
Sean Walker
In regards to Sean Walker, the defender likely has the highest trade value of all the roster players the Flyers could move in the next week.
Walker is having a career revival with Philadelphia this season playing in largely a top four role and averaging 19:30 of ice time per game. In 60 games played this season Walker scored six goals and 16 assists for 22 points. That’s only two points shy of his prior career high of 24 points that he registered while still a member of the L.A Kings in 2019-20. With 22 games remaining to surpass that mark it is almost a foregone conclusion this will be a career season for the 29-year-old.
With Walker performing so well there’s always a chance the Flyers could keep him as an in-house rental as the team gears up for the stretch drive and a possible playoff berth. However, the Flyers consistently re-affirming their organizational philosophy of being in a rebuild leans towards the defenseman being traded away.
If Walker does get moved it was previously rumored the compensation in return might be a first round draft pick. The most recent trade of Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars does no favors for Philadelphia attempting to secure a first round draft choice for Walker.
This trade could effectively act as a market setter for a second pairing right handed defenseman although Tanev and Walker play much different styles.
Another thing to consider is the supply and demand aspect of the trade deadline. With fewer options for teams to pursue as upgrades to their defensive cores that could drive the value up for a player like Walker and assist the Flyers in acquiring a first round pick.
One other scenario that has been rumored is Philadelphia potentially trading both Walker and Seeler in a package together to ensure they add another first round selection moving ahead.
Ultimately, it will be fascinating to see what exactly the compensation is for a defender like Sean Walker if the Flyers do decide to trade him.
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Nick Seeler
The trade chip that will bring the second highest value for Philadelphia is Nick Seeler.
Similar to Walker, Seeler is also in the midst of a career season. The 30-year-old currently leads the NHL in blocked shots with 175. He’s also recorded one goal and ten assists for 11 points in 60 games played this season. Seeler is only three points shy of surpassing his previous career high in points of 14.
The physical defenseman has been a top four option for Philadelphia this season and is averaging a career high of 16:53 of ice time per game. Seeler clearly brings several facets that would be valuable to contending playoff teams in a bottom pairing role. Despite that, it was previously rumored that the Flyers would rather re-sign the defender than trade him away.
It was reported by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta that the Flyers were looking to extend Seeler with an average annual value between the 2.5 and 3 million dollar range. While Seeler’s camp is interested in a deal at a higher cap hit and for multiple years.
With that information coming to light, it appears as though the Flyers may move on from Seeler instead of re-signing him. In terms of what compensation could be had, a mid round draft pick would be a safe assumption.
Marc Staal
Staal being traded will likely be up to the player as the organization has stated in the past.
If he does want to be moved to a contender the Flyers will attempt to accommodate the veteran. Nonetheless, the return for Staal if moved will likely be a late round draft pick at best.
With Walker and Seeler potentially being dealt and the Flyers in a playoff spot, it’s certainly imaginable that they decide to hold on to Marc Staal. The 37-year-old could act as a depth defensive option for the remainder of the regular season and possible playoff run.
Final Thoughts
As March 8th draws closer it will be interesting to see how Philadelphia and GM Daniel Briere manage their pending UFA’s in Sean Walker, Nick Seeler and Marc Staal.
Nevertheless, the goal of the organization should be to maximize their pending free agents for valuable assets if possible. Such assets, mainly consisting of draft capital, might also be used for future trades and not just to draft further prospects.
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