The Philadelphia Flyers are in a weird spot for the trade deadline. They’re in third place in the Metropolitan Division and have a good shot to make the playoffs. In the midst of a rebuild, though, they should probably be selling some of their veterans. Among those include some very important defensemen in Nick Seeler and Sean Walker. Who are some defensemen the Flyers can trade for to replace them?
Cody Ceci, Edmonton Oilers
If the Flyers explore a trade with the Edmonton Oilers to send Walker there, it would make sense for both teams to have defenseman Cody Ceci in that deal. He’s the odd man out for their defense, making $3.25 million each season through 2024-25. He’s a bit too expensive for them to have in a depth role. Walker would give Edmonton an upgrade for their second pair, while Edmonton could shed some salary. What makes him an attractive option for Philadelphia, though?
For starters, Ceci is worth an NHL roster spot. He might not be as good as the top-four minutes he is getting with the Oilers, but the right-shot defender is by no means a liability. It can be useful for Philadelphia to get an NHL defenseman in return for Walker so they don’t have to look to American Hockey League (AHL) defenders for this season, but also so they don’t have to hand out a big contract in free agency to fill out their defense. Ceci could be flipped at next season’s deadline for a draft pick if he plays well.
This season, Ceci has two goals and 16 assists for 18 points and a plus-10 rating in 59 games. His expected goal share at even strength (xGF%), sitting at 53.3 percent, is very good considering he plays just over 20 minutes of ice time each game. Now, those good on-ice results can be credited to the fact that he plays for a great Oilers team, but he has not been a liability for them as far as stats go.
Ceci is 30 years of age, not much older than Walker is now. While the Flyers might not be able to turn him into a “reclamation project” like they were able to do with Walker, he might benefit from a new system. In a third-pairing role, he could get good results. If the Flyers were able to get excellent minutes out of Rasmus Ristolainen in this way, one of the worst defenders in expected goals when he got to Philadelphia in 2021-22, they can do it with Ceci.
Nate Schmidt, Winnipeg Jets
Similar to if the Flyers were trying to trade Walker to the Oilers, the Winnipeg Jets might have to shed some salary if they wanted the Flyers’ right-handed defender. An ideal candidate to make that happen is Nate Schmidt, a left-handed defenseman that mostly plays on the right side. Like Ceci, he has a contract that will expire next season, but he is making $5.95 million on said deal. It’s a lot of money, but he has played well this season in a rather sheltered role.
In 52 games for the Jets, Schmidt has a goal and nine assists for 10 points and a plus-6 rating in bottom-pairing minutes. In 463.9 minutes alongside Dylan Samberg, his expected goals against per 60 minutes is just 1.85, one of the best ratings in the NHL. A third pairing is generally not going to give up many goals, so that’s not a big surprise. But it is still good to have defensemen who can get solid results in those limited minutes.
The issue with Schmidt is that he is very pricey. It would be a big sacrifice for the Flyers. At the same time, however, he could be flipped much like Ceci but perhaps for even more value. With the salary cap next season increasing to $87.7 million, up $4.2 million from this season, the Flyers would essentially be putting their cap number from this season to next season. The Flyers have money to spend, and that’s a good thing. If trading Walker to the Jets could get the Flyers a good prospect or a high draft pick, trading for Schmidt in that deal will be something to consider.
Erik Brannstrom, Ottawa Senators
In the case of Erik Brannstrom of the Ottawa Senators, he wouldn’t be a throw-in piece for the Flyers, but rather one they go out and get to give themselves a good player to replace someone like Seeler. The Senators have a lot of great defensemen, and he’s reportedly one that some teams are looking at. Just 24 years of age, he’s young enough to have top-four upside. But what is he providing today?
In bottom-pairing minutes this season, Brannstrom has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points and a plus-2 rating in 53 games. The left-handed defender wouldn’t be a direct replacement for Seeler as he has over 100 fewer blocked shots than he does, but he can be a good plug-in for him. Other players would have to step up in the shot-blocking department, but he has had good results.
With an xGF% of 52.3 percent at even strength despite playing for a Senators team that is well outside the playoff race, he has been pretty good for them. He’d be a great player for the Flyers to go after. If he has the right defensive partner, he could be as good as a second-pairing player for the Orange and Black.
So the Flyers have players they might want to look at. Even though they might be selling, they’re still trying to make the playoffs. They need to make their players aware that they believe in them. Getting back one or two NHL defenders would prove that the organization still wants to win hockey games.
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