When the Ivan Provorov trade was announced last week, it was primarily the draft compensation going back to the Flyers —a first round pick and two seconds— that took all of the headlines. Additionally, former second round pick and undisputed first team all-name defenseman Helge Grans is an interesting piece for the future. More than likely the 21-year old will continue to get more North American experience in Lehigh Valley, but he definitely has top-4 potential in the future if his development continues.
And since the Flyers currently find themselves at the beginning of a rebuild, that makes sense, the current roster really won’t matter all that much next year. The future assets, in this case, are the ones that mean the most.
However, the Flyers did acquire two bona fide NHLers in this deal, too. While defenseman Sean Walker and goaltender Cal Petersen aren’t two pieces that will suddenly turn the Flyers into contenders, they do serve a purpose for the future.
Walk the Line
Sean Walker is a fighter, not in the Jay Rosehill way, but in the sense that he has had to scrap tooth and nail to make his NHL career a reality. Undrafted after playing four years at Bowling Green State in the NCAA, Walker signed with the Kings and debuted in 2017 with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. By the 2019-20 season, Walker was a mainstay in L.A.’s top six, garnering 24 points in 70 games.
He brought a steady presence to a young Kings defense that was transitioning from the likes of Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez, to younger names like Kale Clague, Tobias Bjornfort, and Mikey Anderson. After standout years with quality underlying metrics in his first two seasons as a King, his play plateaued. As a bottom four option, Walker and his affordable 2.65 million dollar cap hit will no doubt be appealing to contenders at next season’s deadline.
Walker is a cheap, dependable option that will have every chance to earn more minutes and balloon his value further; especially on a defense corps with holes to fill after the dealing of Provorov.
A future move for Walker may resemble something like the 2022 deal that sent Justin Braun to the New York Rangers for a 3rd round pick in 2023.
Meet Pete
Cal Petersen’s star shone brightly, and burnt out almost as fast. After a breakout 2020 season that earned him a 3 year, 15 million dollar contract, Petersen struggled mightily to live up to his previous success. by the end of his tenure in Los Angeles, Petersen was back in the AHL, posting mediocre numbers as the starter in Ontario, including a 3.90 GAA in their two playoff contests.
Petersen is an interesting case. The Kings gave him a bridge deal at a healthy salary believing that they had found their goaltender of the future. However, the 28-year old’s contract has quickly turned into an albatross, and for a playoff team with aspirations of contending for a Stanley Cup, clearing his cap hit was a necessity.
Shedding Petersen’s salary is the real prize for Los Angeles in this transaction, and considering the Flyers are in the midst of a rebuild that should outlast Petersen’s term, it makes sense to take on the dead money.
As well, there is still every chance that the change of scenery helps him recapture some of his past form. In 54 games from the 2018-19 season until the 2020-21 season, Petersen posted a .916 save percentage and a 2.79 goals against average. In his 47 NHL games since that time frame, he’s regressed to a .890 SV% and a 3.07 GAA.
It’s been a pretty stark tale of two halves, but there might still be an NHL goalie there. And from the Flyers point of view, there really isn’t a downside to finding out.
Petersen’ contract makes a potential deadline deal tougher, but a potential resurgence would allow the Flyers to explore trading one of their younger net-minders, be it Felix Sandstrom or Samuel Ersson. With just two roster spots for NHL goalies, and Carter Hart continuing to be the starter for at least the time being, one of these two will more than likely be dealt eventually, in order to strengthen positions of need elsewhere.
Or maybe Hart himself goes! Who knows at this point, but all three have received interest around the league, which may mark the first time that somebody actively wants the Flyers’ goaltending
Even though there doesn’t seem to be much in acquiring a bottom pair defenseman and a potentially washed up goalie, it gives the Flyers even more ammo to play with when the inevitable sell-off of roster players begins. If either player —Walker especially— can impress in the orange and black, then that just give Daniel Briere more leverage and flexibility to maximize a return when the 2023 trade deadline arrives.
