The Edmonton Oilers will likely be looking to bolster their roster in hopes of making a deep run into the playoffs this season after several failed attempts at winning a Stanley Cup. In the previous two seasons, they have been eliminated by the team that went on to win the Stanley Cup — the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, and the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
With a much deeper roster, a much stronger team under a new head coach, and a new goaltending tandem, Oilers fans have much to be excited about as we head into the second half of the season. With the team currently on a 10-game winning streak, there isn’t any reason to make any changes as of yet. Eventually, however, they’ll want to try and pull the trigger on a few moves to improve their depth and increase their chances at winning a Cup.
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One of their main issues has been depth defending and while it’s not an issue that needs to be addressed right now, it should be handled before the Trade Deadline. At the start of the season, the Oilers looked awful defensively and didn’t have one defenceman playing the right way in their own end. With the addition of former Oilers legend Paul Coffey to the team’s coaching staff, it has been a full 180 for everybody on the team. While there haven’t been any issues during the team’s long winning streak, there’s a chance they could look to upgrade on the right side if Vincent Desharnais has any regression.
One particular defender they could look at bringing in is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Sean Walker, who was listed on Frank Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff’s trade bait list in December. If the Flyers don’t think they can make a playoff run and decide to sell this season to pick up future assets, Walker would likely be one player on the move, and the Oilers should be all over him should he become available.
Who Is Sean Walker & How Would He Benefit The Oilers?
Walker is a 29-year-old right-shot d-man who was undrafted and joined the Los Angeles Kings organization in the 2017-18 season. He started his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Ontario Reign and in his rookie season, he scored seven goals and added 21 assists for 28 points through 64 games. The following season, he got his first taste of NHL action splitting the season between the NHL and AHL. With the Kings, he scored three goals and added seven assists for ten points through 39 games while with the Reign, he scored six goals and added 11 assists for 17 points through 22 games.
Before jumping to the NHL, Walker played four season in the NCAA with Bowling Green State University, being named captain in the final two. Over those four seasons, Walker scored 22 goals and added 58 assists for 80 points through 160 games. He gained attention from the NHL as a potential star two-way defender if he could transfer his strong two-way game to the professional level, which he was able to do immediately.
Through 276 games in his NHL career, Walker has scored 20 goals and added 62 assists which comes out to a .30 points-per-game average. He has been able to transfer his two-way game we saw at the NCAA level to the NHL level and has become a big member of the Flyers’ blue line. With the Flyers in an extremely-tight Metropolitan Division, they may choose to make some moves to retool their roster if they’re not in a playoff spot come the Trade Deadline.
The Oilers currently have Vincent Desharnais as their third-line right defender and while he hasn’t been bad as of late, the Oilers may look to bring in someone with more experience for a playoff run. Walker has many more games under his belt and has proven himself to be a stronger defender in his own zone. Desharnais playing as the seventh defenceman would be a better plan for the team heading into the postseason.
As the postseason inches closer, many teams will be looking for experienced players to give them the best opportunity of going all the way and winning a Stanley Cup. While Desharnais is a solid defender, Walker would be a much safer option in the bottom-four rotation.
What Would It Cost The Oilers To Bring Him In?
Walker is in the final season of his contract that’s worth $2.65 million. It is a very affordable contract but the Oilers would still need to move someone out to fit him into their salary cap due to their tight money issues. Moving out someone such Cody Ceci would make the deal be able to go through, but that’s likely not all the Flyers would want in return.
The Flyers would likely be asking for a prospect and a pick on top of the contract back for Walker. Theoretically, a deal for Walker looks like the Oilers acquiring Walker in exchange for defenseman Luca Munzenberger, a 2024 second-round pick, and Ceci to make the money work. Walker is someone who would benefit the Oilers in a big way defensively and would bolster their depth heading into the postseason. They should be all over him should the Flyers make him available.