Flyers trade grades: Was keeping Nick Seeler a wise move?

Wednesday was a tale of two defensemen nearing free agency for the Flyers, as partners Sean Walker and Nick Seeler were handed their fates.

While the Flyers chose to trade Walker to Colorado for the reward of a first-round pick, they went the opposite direction with Seeler, signing the rugged veteran to a four-year contract extension at an average annual value of $2.7 million. The move was a clear statement from the organization of how much it values Seeler, who turns 31 in June, as both a player and figure within the locker room.

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Here’s how our experts, Jackie Spiegel and Gustav Elvin, graded general manager Danny Brière and the Flyers’ decision to lock up Seeler for the next four years.

A few naysayers will argue that Seeler is on the wrong side of 30 to get the deal he got. That giving a four-year deal to a guy who will be 31 soon and plays his style of hard, gritty hockey is a bad deal because there’s only so much runway for him. Those people are wrong.

There’s more to Seeler’s game and role on this team besides just blocking shots. He’s a warrior, as his old defensive partner Walker said, and, yes, there’s a chance that every time he puts his body in front of a shot it takes another minute off his career. And sure, he’s not a point producer — although the analytics will tell you that Seeler and Walker were stealthily adept at aiding the players he’s on the ice with, even if he wasn’t the one getting on the scoresheet.

But for Seeler, his ability and his will to sacrifice his body and to place the team above himself is more valuable than any goal he’ll score.

Seeler is a glue guy. In the room, he can veer to being more quiet, at least when reporters are around, but when he does speak, whether to make a quip or to bring up something important, everyone stops and listens. He’ll be a key veteran voice on the blue line as the young D corps continues to grow and build its game.

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In today’s game, sometimes role players get overlooked for the shiny, skilled guy who will bury 30 goals with some razzle and dazzle. What Seeler brings is his own razzle and dazzle as he can ignite a bench and a fan base with a critically timed shot block, a bone-crunching hit, or by dropping the gloves to defend a teammate.

The Minnesota-nice kid has an edge. Those guys are needed for playoff runs. Those guys are needed to take the next step. So while he’ll be 35 when the contract expires, what he’ll bring in the four years is invaluable.

Grade: B+

Seeler’s return to hockey and unforeseen evolution into a steady middle-six blueliner on a minimum contract has been one of the better stories within the Flyers’ organization the past few years. Known for his toughness and willingness to throw his body in harm’s way, Seeler is now more than just a shot blocker and battering ram. While he is never going to be much of a point producer, good things happen when he is on the ice in both zones, as he grades highly analytically both as a defender and in terms of puck possession.

While Seeler isn’t as good as his analytics — Evolving Hockey had him tied for fourth in the NHL in even-strength defense goals above replacement last season — he is still a strong third-pairing D-man who can serve as a mentor and insulator for young defensemen like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale. He is also valuable when it comes to forming the organization’s new culture. For those reasons, I have no problem with the AAV of $2.7 million or the fact the Flyers re-signed him instead of flipping him for a third- or fourth-rounder. The term is a tad long, but that is the compromise teams make to retain players. It’s also hard not to be happy for Seeler, who has earned everything the hard way to this point in his career and now is being rewarded with a nice payday.

The Flyers can’t have all defensemen in their early 20s, so keeping a player with Seeler’s work ethic and character makes a lot of sense as the Flyers continue to develop and turn over their blue line. The fearless nature in which the 30-year-old Seeler plays makes me worry about his health over the final few years of this deal, but the money isn’t crippling, especially as the cap continues to rise. I wouldn’t have been outraged to see Brière move Seeler, but I do believe the Minnesota native is more valuable to this team than a third-round pick would have been.

Grade: B