The NHL trade deadline is right around the corner on Friday, March 8th, and activity should start picking up after Wednesday night’s deal between the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars (and New Jersey Devils).
The Flames are trading right-handed defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars, taking the top rental RHD off the market.
Here is the full deal involving the Flames, Stars, and Devils.
At first blush, this is a bit of an underwhelming return for Tanev, even with his salary being 50% retained twice. The Stars gave up a second-round pick, a third-round pick (if they make the Stanley Cup Final), and fourth-round pick, plus Artem Grushnikov (48th overall pick in 2021) for Tanev.
Tanev has long been looked at as the best right-handed defenseman available on the trade market. The Flames started their fire sale last month by moving Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks and Tanev was the next domino to fall. They still have pending free-agent Noah Hanifin and goaltender Jacob Markstrom as possible trade pieces as well.
So — unironically –, how does this trade affect the Philadelphia Flyers?
For starters, the trade package for Tanev more or less sets the price for other right-handed defensemen rentals on the market, namely Sean Walker. Walker was sixth on TSN’s most recent Trade Bait board with Tanev up at number two.
Walker, 29, has performed better than most thought in Philadelphia. While some viewed him as a throw-in in the Ivan Provorov deal, Danny Briere sought out Walker and now has a chance to flip him for a few more future assets at the deadline.
However, the idea of re-signing Walker has cropped up recently. Extending Walker would give the Flyers a steady right-handed defenseman to help guide the rebuild, but they already have that in Rasmus Ristolainen, provided that the big man can stay healthy.
Briere & Co. should ultimately decide to move Walker at the deadline but the previously reported price of a first-round pick may be shooting too high based on the Tanev deal. On the other hand, this could go the other way with the bidding war for Walker heating up as the top option on the market.
Nevertheless, the next week is going to be interesting to watch as Briere navigates his first NHL trade deadline as an NHL general manager. The Flyers are certainly in a precarious position with the deadline just days away.
Keep your ears to the ground as the NHL trade rumors and rumblings around Walker and the Flyers intensify over the next week.
