As the official start to the NHL offseason inches closer, some tidbits of information are beginning to surface and one such tidbit involved the Leafs chasing a couple of top 4 RD targets. The first was Brett Pesce, who we covered earlier in this series and the second is Sean Walker.
Sean Walker
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 196lbs
Walker has been on my radar for quite a while now. That isn’t necessarily because he is a top pairing defender, but more because the Leafs have been in need of improving their right side defense for that f#*ckin long that I had him as a target when he was playing with the Los Angeles Kings. I honestly can’t believe how long we’ve been talking about this issue.
Seriously. Brad. F&^KING FIX IT!!
Anyway, there was a time that the Kings had Drew Doughty, Matt Roy and Sean Walker as their right side defense and now they have Drew Doughty, pending UFA Matt Roy, Jordan Spence and a blue chip prospect in Brandt Clarke.
I didn’t think writing this would ruin my day, but here we are Leafs Nation, dreaming about last season when Luke Schenn played a few games in his return to Toronto and wishing he never left, as if that was good enough, while the Kings have simply been trotting out an elite crew of right side defenders for years like it’s nothing to sweat about.
Seriously. Brad. I’m begging you to fix this.
Sean Walker makes a lot of sense for Toronto if they decide to move on from Timothy Liljegren, as they’ll be in search of a player that can QB a 2nd PP unit, help on the PK and bring some veteran savvy to the lineup. Walker isn’t elite in any aspect, but he’s a solid contributor all over the ice.
After missing all but 6 games of the 2021-22 NHL season due to a nasty knee injury that required season-ending surgery, Walker returned to the Kings lineup for the 2022-23 season, playing 70 games and recording 3 goals and 13pts. By that time the Kings had right defender Sean Durzi stepping into a top 4 role, which limited…..
Seriously. They cycle through top 4 RD like that!?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!? The Leafs can’t get a single top 4 RD and the Kings go through them every year like it’s a f*#kin joke???? **sigh**
……. which limited his ice time to under 15 minutes a night. Easing Walker back into the lineup was a smart play, though it didn’t help his trade value as his reduced role and minutes also saw his point totals diminish. He was dealt to the Philadephia Flyers in a complicated trade that resulted in Los Angeles unloading the contract of goaltender Cal Petersen at the end of the season and that is when his career took a turn for the better.
After gaining the trust of Flyers coach, John Tortorella, Walker found himself playing top pairing minutes regularly, helping Philadelphia to a surprisingly competitive season in which they just missed the playoffs. With 10pts in his first 18 games (just 1 on the PP, as he didn’t get much time there), the smooth skating defender generated interest from other teams as a possible trade candidate to help boost their playoff chances. He was later dealt to the Colorado Avalanche, where he saw a reduced role on a deep blueline, but managed to produce 4 goals and 7pts in 18 regular season games, followed by 11 playoff games with no points recorded. On both clubs he was trusted as a penalty killer but had limited powerplay time, producing at even strength instead. He completed the regular season with 10 goals and 29pts in 81 games.
While skating is a big part of Walker’s defensive game, he isn’t afraid of the gritty side either. His 5.38 BLK/60 with Colorado are comparable to the 5.37, 5.55 and 5.63 marks posted by William Lagesson, Simon Benoit and TJ Brodie this year, respectively. His 5.94 Hits/60 would have landed him in the middle of the pack in terms of Leafs defenders this year as well. Both of his hits and blocks numbers increased in Colorado, which is an indication of a stylistic difference in play between the two clubs. In short, these numbers are more indicative of a defensive defender. What Walker adds that players like Benoit and Lagesson don’t is the ability to skate the puck out of danger effectively. Offense from the defense has been an issue in Toronto for a while now, which makes me like the idea of adding a defender that wants to look after his own zone first, while also having the ability to transition to offense smoothly.
In terms of contract projections, @AFPAnalytics has Walker signing a new contract just shy of $4.7M per season with a 3 year term. I think that’s a palatable number for the Leafs, who should be able to commit $10-12M to two top 4 blueliners if they play their cards right.
Lastly, with his effective two-way play it would be easy to envision him having chemistry with any of the Leafs’ current defenders. Whether it’s playing a more conservative game as Morgan Rielly’s partner, forming a two-way pairing with Jake McCabe, or being the puck distributor on a pair with Simon Benoit or the hopefully returning Joel Edmundson, he’s a jack of all trades and would be a welcome addition to the team.