Jonathan Willis of The Athletic wrote, “Fantastic game, and easy to imagine as G1 of a playoff series. It also feels like an answer to all those pre-trade deadline, “but is Sean Walker even an upgrade on Cody Ceci?” questions.” The scribe tweeted this after watching the Colorado Avalanche defeat the Edmonton Oilers in another overtime thriller on Saturday. Walker was a trade deadline acquisition for the Avalanche, but he was also a deadline target for the Oilers, as confirmed by Elliotte Friedman during the Saturday Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.
Walker was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, along with a 2026 fifth-round pick for veteran forward Ryan Johansen and a 2025 first-round pick. Johanson was subsequently sent to the minors by the Flyers. In essence, had the Oilers moved their first-round pick and a player with a contract, they could have made the trade the Avalanche made. Edmonton chose instead to add Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks.
Based on the Avs vs. Oilers game on Saturday, Colorado made the right decision. To be fair, Carrick did score in the game, and getting two players for a first-rounder might be better than getting one player, but Walker is a heck of a player. He’s honestly what the Oilers still seem to be missing — a puck mover in their top four who is quick and can make plays.
Should the Oilers Have Prioritized Walker at the Trade Deadline?
Edmonton will play Colorado two more times before the end of the season. They will also be potentially going into their next game a defenseman down as Vincent Desharnais may have suffered an injury in a fight with Josh Manson. Troy Stecher — Edmonton’s depth defender they picked up at the deadline — will get the call if Desharnais misses time. But, in hindsight, does not adding Walker appear to have been a mistake?
The Oilers prioritized depth at forward and that was likely wise. Could they use a defenseman like Walker on their roster right now? It appears so. The hope is that he’s done torching the Oilers because Saturday’s game looks like Ken Holland missed an opportunity.
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