The Carolina Hurricanes have signed right-handed defenseman Sean Walker to a five-year contract worth $3.6 million each season.
Considering his upside, this actually seems like a possible steal of a deal if the 29-year-old defender can play to his potential.
With the Philadelphia Flyers, Walker reached new heights in his game and unlocked his potential in a contract year. He’s being rewarded for that here.
Walker Rejuvenated His Career in Philadelphia
The way Walker got to the Flyers is somewhat ironic given this contract. In the 2023 offseason, the Los Angeles Kings sent his $2.65 million AAV to Philadelphia essentially as a cap dump. Seeing as the Flyers were rebuilding, he was thrust into a second-pairing role for them—he didn’t disappoint.
With the Flyers, Walker was dominant in all three zones. In transition, he was sensational and really complemented the way Philadelphia played the game perfectly. He loved to join the rush yet was responsible enough to not get himself into trouble when he did so. They traded him at the deadline to the Colorado Avalanche, which is where his game started to fall back a bit.
Walker still finished his 2023-24 season with 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points and a plus-11 rating in 81 games, but he wasn’t as good of a schematic fit for Colorado as he was for Philadelphia. In 11 playoff games there, he had zero points and a minus-5 rating. He basically played two different seasons—the one with the Flyers is what he’s being paid for. Perhaps this change of scenery can allow him to perform at his best.
Fit with Carolina
With both Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce leaving the Hurricanes in free agency, this deal makes sense for them. Needing a replacement on their defense, Walker can be a high-upside play for them. He seems to be a nice schematic fit for the way that they play. Likely their second-pairing replacement, the value is good here.
After losing Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Skjei, and Pesce in free agency, the Hurricanes also signed Shayne Gostisbehere to a three-year deal. This could be a future pairing in 2024-25 and beyond, but even these two defensive signings give Carolina some wiggle room. There are a few more moves that they could make, so stay tuned.
