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NHL Trade Talk

Minnesota Wild Emerge As Likely Flyers Trade Partner

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9 months ago

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Philadelphia Flyers trade
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Sean Walker could be one of the Minnesota Wild's top trade targets. (Photo: AP)

If there’s one team with whom a Philadelphia Flyers trade makes sense, it’s the Minnesota Wild.

The Wild got some devastating news Thursday evening, announcing that captain Jared Spurgeon would be done for the 2023-24 season in order to undergo hip and back surgery. Per The Athletic‘s Joe Smith, Wild general manager Bill Guerin revealed that Spurgeon had been dealing with his ailments for months and that the plan was for the captain to improve with rehab. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and the team will return to a familiar modus operandi by exploring the NHL trade market, this time with Spurgeon’s LTIR pool.

Why a Flyers Trade Makes Sense for Wild

Right now, the industry’s worst-kept secret is that Flyers defensemen Nick Seeler and Sean Walker are two of the most coveted defensemen on the NHL trade market this season. Both players are pending unrestricted free agents, and both players have cap hits that are more than manageable. As teams continue to accrue cap space ahead of the trade deadline, the prorated cap hits of the two Flyers defensemen become even smaller.

If the Wild are after a 1:1 replacement for Spurgeon in terms of both size and profile, Walker fits the mold. Before his Flyers days, Seeler spent parts of three seasons with the Wild. Philadelphia had already rebuffed some trade interest in the form of a package deal very early in the season, though the NHL trade deadline is just over a month away. Furthermore, the Flyers are not particularly eager to part ways with these players, as their asking price is through the roof, but after the Jamie Drysdale trade, it’s crystal clear what age group the Flyers are targeting in this rebuild.

If the Flyers wish to keep this rebuild rolling, they will have to make some tough decisions, especially if a desperate team like the Wild comes calling.

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Mike

I’m not sure that I see a great opportunity for the Flyers here.

Minnesota is currently seventh in the WILD CARD standings in the Western Conference, and obviously the Spurgeon injury makes that climb even more difficult.

So I envision that the Wild will be sellers at the trade deadline looking to maximize their long-term return, and I don’t think that Walker and Seeler necessarily give them a better shot at success next year (assuming that they even re-sign with the Wild).

If Walker and Seeler are indeed dealt prior to the deadline, I see them going to a team with high playoff hopes this year who are hoping to improve the bottom of their blueline corps to put them into real contention for a Cup win.

I think a team in that situation would be much more willing to give Briere the type of return he’s looking for in terms of high-end prospects and/or picks.

Last edited 8 months ago by Mike
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GMan

The Flyers are in a difficult situation. It was always considered that Seeler, Walker and Staal would be traded at the deadline as well as maybe even Atkinson. Since they are in the playoff hunt, do they keep things status quo, think about signing Seeler and Walker to extensions or let them walk for nothing. It’s a decision that the team did not think they would have to make, but the way that they have become a “team” and are severely over achieving muddies the waters as to what to do.

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