Philadelphia Flyers NHL Trade Deadline Candidates: Sean Walker
97.5 The Fanatic will examine Flyers who could potentially be on the move before the NHL Trade Deadline. Danny Briere described the organizational outlook in maintaining the strategy of the rebuild.
“We know where we are. We’re trying to get out of that rut where we make the playoffs one year (then) we miss (the next). You look at the standings. It’s very, very tight. We know we have a long ways to go, and we’re trying to build a team that’s going to be contenders for years to come, not just for one year… It’s a long season. It feels like it’s flashing by us, but the plan hasn’t changed.” -Danny Briere
?s=20"The plan hasn't changed."
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 10, 2023
In an interview with @JimJPhilly and @BrianBoucher33, Flyers general manager Danny Briere discussed a number of topics about his team's rebuild. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/Cs8rvxV6ms
The Flyers will not fit the traditional definition of sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline, however. Closer analysis is needed to determine which moves do and don’t make sense for the Flyers in 2023-24 and down the road.
Sean Walker
Danny Briere acquired Sean Walker in what looked like a salary dump from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the three-team Ivan Provorov trade. The Flyers wouldn’t have expected him to burst out and become one of the hottest commodities on the trade market.
Elliotte Friedman has reported interest around the league in a potential Sean Walker trade since November. The Athletic ranked him fifth on their big board of NHL Trade Deadline targets.
Walker has flourished in a second-pair role under John Tortorella. His strength as a skater meshes well with the freedom Tortorella has granted for defensemen to aggressively join the offensive rush. His calculated risks have helped the Flyers earn 54.07% of the expected goal share with Walker on the ice as their third defenseman.
He has reached the height of his value. Right-handed defensemen who can play second-pair minutes become hot commodities each spring. The Flyers would likely receive a 1st-round pick from a contending team lined up to pick towards the bottom of the opening round.
Consider that the Flyers want to establish a culture during the rebuild as much as they want to collect draft picks. They don’t want to trade Walker for the sake of trading him.
They will evaluate whether the impending free agent has a role in helping a potential playoff push in 2023-24. There is also a chance they’d like to retain him on a longer-term contract this offseason. Expect Briere and the front office to wait until close to the March 8 deadline to decide on Sean Walker.
“They can afford to sit there and wait. Things are going well. The fans are happy. They’re playing hard. Why rush into any decision that you don’t need to make?” -Elliotte Friedman
Walker is on pace to set a career-high in scoring in 2023-24. He has significantly outperformed expectations, and the trade market covets him. The Flyers have the opportunity to sell high.
Stay/Go Verdict: Go
97.5 The Fanatic, the flagship radio partner of the Philadelphia Flyers, provides news, analysis, and outlook on the 2023-24 season.
6 Philadelphia Flyers Retired Numbers & 1 More That Deserves It
Bernie Parent #1
“Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent.”
Countless drivers in Philadelphia during the 1970s read the iconic bumper sticker about the future Hall of Fame goaltender. Parent accumulated Hall of Fame numbers over 13 NHL seasons, 10 of which included stints with the Flyers.
The real mark of his legacy came in the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons. He won the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the NHL after both regular seasons. His 47 wins in 1973-74 stood as a league record until 2007.
Parent won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP for each of the only two Stanley Cups in franchise history after both of his Venzina seasons. The famed Broad Street Bullies built their reputation on intimidation and grit, but they never would’ve sniffed a Stanley Cup without Bernie Parent between the pipes.
Mark Howe #2
Mark Howe played six seasons in the WHA to begin his professional career and didn’t make his debut with the Flyers until age 27. However, he established himself as the indisputable best defenseman in franchise history.
He still holds franchise records for goals, assists, points, shorthanded goals, and plus/minus rating among defensemen. Most of the blueliners behind him in the major statistical categories played more games with the Flyers. Howe published a book cleverly named Gordie Howe’s Son in 2013.
Eric Lindros #88
The Flyers made arguably the biggest splash in NHL history when they acquired the rights to Eric Lindros in 1992 after some lengthy drama. He was supposed to be the next Wayne Gretzky, and his dynamic skill and intimidating power didn’t disappoint when he was on the ice. He won the Hart Trophy after the shortened 1994-95 season and helped the Flyers to an appearance in the 1997 Stanley Cup Final.
Concussions derailed the career of arguably the most talented hockey player ever to lace up the skates. He struggled to stay healthy in a stretch that infamously ended with a devastating hit from Scott Stevens in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final.
He ranks sixth in franchise history in scoring, but his 1.36 points per game average blows every other Flyers skater out of the water. The organization has properly moved on from disagreements with one of their all-time greats whose number has hung in the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center since 2018.
Claude Giroux #28
The Flyers were in Stanley Cup contention when Claude Giroux broke into the NHL. The crafty forward developed into the organizational centerpiece, but the team dragged through a forgettable era in franchise history during his captaincy.
Giroux is second in Flyers history in points, games played, and assists trailing only the legendary Bobby Clarke. He played on teams that won six total playoff series and recorded 73 postseason points, including an overtime goal in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2010. He has finished fourth or higher in Hart Trophy voting three times during his tenure in Philadelphia.
The Flyers will someday retire the number of one of their all-time greats who unfortunately never broke through with a Stanley Cup.
