The Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers are being linked in trade talks and there’s potentially a new development when it comes to defenseman Sean Walker. Even though recent reports surfaced that the Oilers and Flyers have had multiple talks about Scott Laughton, Edmonton is said to be interested in Walker, and the Flyers are reportedly open to making a trade work.
David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period (h/t Oilers Access on Twitter) is reporting that the Oilers like Walker, and the “Flyers are not only willing to retain part of his contract, but they are also willing to take on a salary if incentivized to do so.”
It’s not clear how much salary the Flyers would be willing to retain or what contract they would be open to taking back, but both are important for Edmonton which is tight against the cap. If they can add Walker ($2.65M) at 50% retained, and then move a player like Cody Ceci back in the deal, it’s not only what some might consider an upgrade on defense, but a cap-saving move. Edmonton could then go out and make another deal with the savings.
Better yet, if the Oilers could somehow pull this deal off without sending the Flyers their first-round pick, they could use that pick to land a top-six winger. Recent reports suggest the Oilers are eyeing Jordan Eberle, Jake Guentzel, or Vladimir Tarasenko.
The Oilers Need to Deal with a Team That Can Be Flexible
One of the reasons the Flyers and Oilers are being mentioned so much in talks lately is because Philadelphia is open to making deals and being creative in the process. They have some players they want to sell and GM Daniel Briere has been active in putting trades together.
If Ken Holland and Briere find a win/win out of this, then these two teams could be the next to make a deal. That said, if the Flyers are holding firm on a first-round pick as part of the return, expect the Oilers to wait until they know the status of a player like Guentzel. Can Edmonton find something other than a first the Flyers might like? Is there a prospect in the system not named Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway Briere who could see growing with the Flyers long-term?
That’s an intriguing question. It would be fun to be a fly on the wall when those conversations are taking place. The Flyers want something in return for being helpful. Holland just needs to find out what that is without giving away too much.
Next: Oilers Eye 3 Deadline Wingers, But Won’t Trade 2 Key Pieces
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