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Should the Avalanche Re-Sign Sean Walker? – Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche

After the Colorado Avalanche acquired Sean Walker at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, he got off to a strong start, taking eight shots on goal in his second game with the team and scoring two goals a few nights later. However, his performance seemed to decline over time.

Walker will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and the Avalanche will likely want to keep him. The question is, can they afford him? Should they allocate their money to someone who will be their third party protector?

Walker’s place on the list

Walker’s swing and walk were evident upon arrival. The Avalanche have opted to have their defense work at both ends of the ice, so it’s no surprise that the 29-year-old quickly adapted to his style of play. He often joined the attacking chase and contributed a lot to the penalty kill. During the playoffs, Colorado did not allow any power play goals in more than 8 minutes when Walker was on the ice on the penalty kill. If anything, they might use him more in that role.

As time went on, his faults became more apparent. Involvement in the game is great, but Walker took penalties too often and at the wrong times. He is an aggressive player whose skating ability can help him out of many situations, but he has been unpredictable, hurting the Avalanche at times. Additionally, there is little opportunity for power play time in Colorado, which may not fit Walker’s long-term goals.

Walker’s statistics

In his first seven games with the Avalanche, Walker had three goals and one assist. However, he scored just three points in the next 22 games, including 11 playoff games. This significant drop in production may impact the price he can ask for in free agency. However, considering the weak defense free agent class and the salary increase, he is still likely to get a reasonable offer.

Walker’s numbers during the regular season were respectable, but not outstanding. He also had goals below 50% of the expected percentage. His playoff numbers are staggering. In the playoffs, Sam Girard and Devon Toews missed a few games, so Walker moved to the left side to play with Cale Makar, who is a step up from his regular partner, Jack Johnson. Walker’s on-ice performance has been quite good, with the Avalanche managing 53% of their shot attempts while on the ice. He finished with 55% of the expected goals percentage, but bad luck worked for him.

Sean Walker, Philadelphia Flyers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Walker led Colorado with four goals and nine shutouts, despite the Avalanche out-and-out opponents with Walker out there. Given the numbers above, how is that possible? However, Colorado scored just 4.65 points with Walker on the ice, and goaltender Alexander Georgiev saved just 88.16% of the shots with him on the ice. This gave Walker a remarkably low PDO of .928 – by far the lowest on the team. Although the team did a lot of things well with him on the ice, luck could not go his way.

Jack Johnson is trusted by the coaching staff, but statistics show that he has had a negative impact on the performance of his teammates. When paired with Walker, the Avalanche managed only 46% of the shot attempts during the game, over 80 minutes of play. However, when Walker is on the ice with any other defenseman for 100 minutes, they control 58% of the shot attempts. This important difference should be considered when evaluating Walker’s performance.

What Walker’s Next Contract Could Look Like

This season, Walker earned $2.65 million and is expected to earn a significant salary after his performance. This year’s defensive class is relatively weak, and with the salary increase, Walker’s agent is likely excited about the potential for a promotion. Additionally, Walker has an advantage as a right shot, which is highly valued by NHL teams.

Related: Predicting Avalanche’s 2024 Free Agent Contracts

Dobber Hockey predicts that Walker will sign a contract with a cap hit of approximately $4.5 million. That is a reasonable expectation. He will turn 30 at the start of next season, so this is his best chance to land a significant contract in his career.

Colorado has four defensemen making $4.5 million or more, so adding another may not be possible. Additionally, the team already has two right-shooting defensemen in the top four, so Walker has little room to move up the roster. Sam Malinski is also fighting for third matching minutes and only makes $850k.

Verdict for Walker

The Avalanche are unlikely to re-sign Walker due to the salary cap, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. Therefore, it would be better to let Walker leave in free agency. In his opinion, there might be a better chance for him in another group. Colorado values ​​its front four, and Walker is likely to secure a more important role for another team, as he did with the Philadelphia Flyers.

There is no question that the Avalanche would make that trade again without a doubt. Acquiring Walker allowed them to trade Bowen Byram for Casey Mittelstadt, and there was no noticeable drop in performance on the ice between Walker and Byram. Only one team can win the Stanley Cup, so from that perspective, it might be considered a failure, but Walker is doing well and doing what is expected of him. Unfortunately, there may not be a place for him in the long run.

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