We may never know the full story, especially with things such as potential locker room or team chemistry issues, but I feel as though the circumstances help paint a bit of a clearer picture.
- Since Joe Veleno filed for arbitration, buying out Walman's contract was not an option.
- While there are reports that other teams were willing to offer assets in return, there's a chance that this may not have been until after free agency wrapped up, or even the upcoming trade deadline.
- In regards to waivers, it's also possible that no team was willing to take on Walman and his contract at that time without some sort of sweetener. Had he cleared waivers, Detroit would have still been on the hook for a decent chunk of his salary.
This could all add up to be absolutely nothing, but this occuring right before free agency began leads me to believe that Yzerman was clearing cap space for a signing that just didn't come to fruition.