VOORHEES, N.J. — Two days earlier than Friday’s 3 p.m ET NHL commerce deadline, the Flyers moved Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round choose to the Avalanche in alternate for a conditional 2025 first-rounder and Ryan Johansen.
Per nationwide stories, the Flyers positioned the 31-year-old Johansen on waivers Wednesday.
Walker, a 29-year-old, right-handed defenseman, was having a profession yr for the rebuilding Flyers. He is on an expiring contract and was one of many membership’s greatest commerce chips.
“It is in all probability probably the greatest issues to have, proper?” Walker stated of the commerce buzz final month. “On the finish of the day, you are enjoying very well and groups need you. That’s the state of affairs whenever you come to a spot on an expiring contract, the state of affairs I am in.”
Walker shocked nearly everybody in Philadelphia. He arrived final summer season in the three-team Ivan Provorov commerce, a transfer made by the Kings very a lot for the aim of clearing cap area. Flyers head coach John Tortorella needed to do his homework on Walker, reaching out to then-Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan for a scouting report.
“I did not know something about him, talked to Mac once we obtained him,” Tortorella stated final month. “Nice competitor. When he is a secure participant, he is a nasty participant. When he is a participant that takes an opportunity, takes an opportunity on his gaps, takes an opportunity making performs, he is a extremely good participant.”
Extra: ‘It is a huge one for us’ — Seeler on IR, Flyers to overlook him for at the very least remainder of week
With the Flyers, Walker has had a profession resurgence after struggling a torn ACL and MCL in his proper knee not even two and a half years in the past. Taking part in principally alongside Nick Seeler on the Flyers’ second defensive pair, Walker put up six objectives, 16 assists and a plus-9 score over 63 video games.
He entered Wednesday tied with the Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin for many shorthanded objectives by a defenseman (two) and was second amongst Flyers blueliners in hits (86).
Whereas Walker performed an necessary position within the Flyers’ turnaround this season, the group has said it is rebuilding. The Flyers have put an emphasis on the long run and never dropping sight of it due to one playoff run.
Walker is a pending unrestricted free agent. He’ll have his suitors and a possible payday within the offseason.
“We have stated from the start we needed to construct a crew that was going to be a Stanley Cup contender for years to return and never only a one in, one out, one in, one out [of the playoffs] prefer it has been,” basic supervisor Danny Briere stated in January. “The attention remains to be on the long run.”
(Extra coming…)
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