Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Flyers Rumors

Avalanche Acquire Sean Walker From Flyers

at CDT | by 26 Comments

The Avalanche traded for one of the more highly-coveted right-handed defensemen on the market Wednesday, announcing the acquisition of Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Flyers in exchange for center Ryan Johansen and a 2025 top-10 protected first-round pick. The Flyers subsequently placed Johansen on waivers. If the first-round pick ends up being a top-10 selection, it would transfer to 2026, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Walker, 29, began his NHL as an undrafted free agent signing by the Kings in 2018 after spending a season with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He made his major league debut that year, impressing with three goals and 10 points and a -8 rating on one of the league’s worst offensive teams. His possession numbers out of the gate were strong, posting a relative CF% of 3.6 at even strength in primarily defensive-zone usage. He quickly became a full-time fixture, playing in the majority of the Kings’ games across the COVID-shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. However, a torn ACL and MCL ended his 2021-22 campaign after just six games.

While he was cleared to play when 2022-23 rolled around, he didn’t look like the same player. Walker tumbled out of top-four consideration in L.A., averaging a career-low 14:50 per game while posting a 51.4 CF% at even strength that was slightly below the team average. He was a healthy scratch at times, too, making his $2.65MM cap hit an unaffordable expenditure for a Kings team looking to load up last summer.

As such, he was traded to the Flyers last summer in the three-team blockbuster that also saw Ivan Provorov head from Philly to the Blue Jackets. It turned out to be a necessary change of scenery for Walker, who’s rediscovered his confidence and has once again blossomed into a capable top-four blue-liner. With six goals and 22 points in 63 games, he’s on pace to break his career-high of 24 points set in 2019-20, and he’s also averaging a career-high 19:36 per game. He’s had impeccable possession impacts, too, logging a +13.9 expected rating and a 53.6 CF% at even strength, playing primarily alongside journeyman shutdown blue-liner Nick Seeler, who’s nearing an extension to remain in Philadelphia. Both were pending UFAs.

Walker will slot in as a more defensively responsible partner for Samuel Girard on the Avs’ second pairing. He replaces 2019 fourth-overall pick Bowen Byram, who Colorado dealt to the Sabres in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt in a subsequent trade Wednesday. Notably, three of the Avalanche’s top four defenders are listed at under 6 feet, but their core is still remarkably similar to the defense that led them to a Stanley Cup championship just two years ago.

With all their first-round picks in store for the next three years (and after making two first-round picks in 2023), parting with one for Walker is a sensible cost to pay for a team looking to capitalize on the primes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar for a second championship. Ridding themselves of Johansen, who fell short of expectations with 23 points in 63 games this year, also clears a crucial $4MM off their books through next season. If he clears waivers and reports to the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he’ll cost a slightly reduced $2.85MM against Philly’s cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the trade.

Sportsnet’s Eric Engels was first to report that the Flyers received a first-round pick, while Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports specified it will be in 2025.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that Johansen was heading to the Flyers.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta was first to report that Johansen was being placed on waivers.

Travis Konecny Could Return Tomorrow

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday after Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now reports Konecny was a full participant in practice this morning. Konecny, who has missed the last six games for the Flyers, will be as important a return as any to Philadelphia’s lineup, as he still leads the team in scoring even after having missed time. Still thriving under head coach John Tortorella, Konecny has scored 27 goals and 54 points for the Flyers this season, leading the team in the latter category by a margin of nine points.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Philadelphia Flyers Extend Nick Seeler

at CDT | by 6 Comments

3:40 pm: The Philadelphia Flyers have announced the signing, confirming that it will be a four-year, $10.8MM contract extension for Seeler. The deal will also carry a M-NTC for Seeler in the first two years of the contract.

9:59 am: Half of the Flyers’ top shutdown pairing appears to be off the trade block — for multiple reasons. Not only has Nick Seeler landed on injured reserve Wednesday with a lower-body injury, but his camp is making significant progress on a contract extension to keep him in Philly, Darren Dreger of TSN reports. Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period adds the deal is expected to be three or four years in length and will carry an average annual value of around $3.3MM.

In a transaction corresponding with Seeler’s IR placement, the Flyers recalled blue-liner Adam Ginning from AHL Lehigh Valley. It’s the 24-year-old’s first recall of the season.

Seeler, 30, has emerged from the woodwork to emerge one of the league’s most competent two-way defensive pairs alongside Sean Walker, who’s also seen his name bandied about heavily in trade talks. The two pending UFAs have been crucial in helping the Flyers break out for a likely playoff berth, posting a team-high 55.9% expected goals share in their 645 minutes together this season, per MoneyPuck. Seeler’s seen more limited usage at even strength – averaging 14:46 per game compared to Walker’s 16:47 – but he is tied for the team lead with a +15 rating alongside top scorer Travis Konecny. His overall 16:58 average per game is a career-high.

He’s slowly developed into a multi-competent NHL player after starting his career as a bottom-of-the-lineup enforcer with the Wild in the late 2010s. Since joining the Flyers in 2021, Seeler has accumulated six goals, 23 assists, and 29 points in 183 games. One of those goals and 12 points have come in 63 games this year.

While not guaranteed, Seeler’s extension increases the likelihood of Walker finding a new home within 48 hours. The Flyers are far ahead of schedule in their rebuild, and GM Daniel Brière has preached patience and not sacrificing long-term success for short-term gains in the weeks leading up to the deadline. Walker could command a first- or second-round pick plus a handful of other desirable assets based on the market set by the Chris Tanev swap last month after the Flyers took him on as a cap dump in a three-way trade with the Blue Jackets and Kings last summer involving Ivan Provorov.

Seeler is in the final season of a two-year, $1.55MM extension he signed in May 2022. His deal carries a two-way structure this season ($775K NHL/$350K AHL/$375K gt’d), although at no point has an AHL assignment been considered for him.

Unfortunately, the Minnesota native will miss a handful of contests as the Flyers try to maintain third place in the Metropolitan Division. Assuming his IR placement is backdated to when he sustained the injury on Monday against the Blues, he’s been ruled out for a pair of pivotal contests against the Panthers and Lightning this week.

Ginning, a second-round pick in 2018, could make his season debut if Walker is dealt by Friday or if the Flyers opt to dress seven defensemen. He’s appeared in 52 contests with Lehigh Valley this season, scoring twice and adding 11 assists for 13 points with a -9 rating. He’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer after completing his two-year, $1.85MM entry-level contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report the official deal for Seeler. 

Metropolitan Notes: Seeler, Koppanen, Acciari

at CDT | by 1 Comment

One of the most popular names on the rumor mill may be out until the trade deadline. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic is reporting that defenseman Nick Seeler of the Philadelphia Flyers will be out for a short period with an injury and that the injury is not serious.

In now his third season with the Flyers organization, Seeler has taken upon more responsibility this year, averaging nearly 17 minutes a night for the first time in his career. A valuable shutdown defenseman, Seeler sits first on the team in blocked shots with 184, and first on the team amongst defensemen in hits with 112 on the year up to this point.

As a pending unrestricted free agent, Philadelphia is at least gauging the trade interest across the league for Seeler’s services, but are notably asking for a first-round pick in return. If the Flyers asking price is not met, they will carry Seeler and pending UFA Sean Walker into the postseason as they currently sit comfortably in third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Other Metropolitan notes:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Noel Acciari is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and will not play tonight according to a team announcement. Acciari’s absence will open up a spot in the bottom six of Pittsburgh’s forward core, allowing the team to make a call-up. In 45 games for the Penguins this season, Acciari has averaged a total of 13 minutes of ice time per night, scoring two goals and five points overall.
  • To fill the void left by Acciari, the Penguins have called up forward Joona Koppanen from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (X Link). Koppanen has already played in three games for Pittsburgh this year, registering zero points overall. At the AHL level, Koppanen has seen plenty of action, suiting up in 49 games for WBS, scoring five points and 16 points up to this point.

Travis Konecny Returns To Practice In Non-Contact Jersey

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • Flyers winger Travis Konecny remains out Monday against the Blues. However, he returned to practice with the team this morning, albeit in a non-contact jersey, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. It’s the first time he’s been on the ice with the team since sustaining an upper-body injury last month that’s cost him five games. Despite the absence, he remains Philadelphia’s leading scorer with 27 goals and 54 points in 57 games, leaving quite a large hole in their lineup as they aim to hold on to a playoff berth and third place in the Metropolitan Division down the stretch.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Denver Barkey To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed London Knights forward Denver Barkey to an entry-level contract. Barkey was selected with the 95th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and has since dominated the OHL, ranking fifth in the league with 87 points in 56 games. He also ranks in the top 15 of goal-scorers, with 31.

Barkey is the leading scorer behind a dangerous London offense this season, with the Knights leading the league’s standings and scoring. He’s combined well with fellow Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk, who Philadelphia selected with the 22nd-overall pick last season. Bonk signed his entry-level deal in mid-August, though his placement in the OHL will delay the contract’s start. The London Knights are gearing up for a long run in the CHL’s Memorial Cup, but with Philadelphia in a playoff position, both players could reasonably be recalled if needed, though that would begin their NHL contracts. They’ll have needed to come a long way to be NHL-ready, with the duo being some of Philadelphia’s first cuts at training camp this September.

Barkey brings a style Philadelphia isn’t unfamiliar with – boasting great head-on speed, good awareness, and the ability to make quick plays in the offensive end. His 5’9″ stature was a point of contention ahead of the draft, but it’s a style Philadelphia has embraced, with 5’8″ Cam Atkinson and Bobby Brink both earning routine NHL roles this season. The team has also iced 5’9″ defensemen Victor Mete and Emil Andrae at different points this year, showing their prioritization of skill even, on the back-end. They’ll need to continue embracing that mindset, with the feisty Barkey paving his way up the Flyers’ depth chart.

Flyers Notes: Trade Deadline, Goaltending, Konecny, Drysdale, Ristolainen

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While the recent Chris Tanev trade carried a lighter return than some expected, don’t expect the Flyers to adjust their asking price for their players.  Speaking with reporters on Friday including Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer, GM Daniel Briere indicated that the Calgary-Dallas swap won’t affect how they approach the next few days:

It doesn’t change our asking price. Yeah, it was maybe a little lighter than expected, but it doesn’t change our approach. If teams are not willing to meet our price, and what we feel is fair, you know, we’re a playoff team. We get to keep them and we get to make a run. That’s the way I see it.

Briere also confirmed that the team is still in discussions with the agents for their pending UFAs to assess what it would cost to keep them.  While not naming names, defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler are almost certainly the ones he’s referring to as several teams are showing interest in both blueliners.  That said, if a trade doesn’t happen, Briere cautioned that it doesn’t necessarily mean that an extension will happen either.

More from Philadelphia and Spiegel’s piece:

  • Goaltending is a bit of a question mark right now behind Samuel Ersson. With Carter Hart out of the picture and Calvin Petersen’s struggles, Felix Sandstrom is now the backup, a role he hasn’t had much success in previously.  Briere acknowledged that they’re looking at all options.  Speculatively, with the team having a little over $6.2MM of cap room on deadline day per CapFriendly, the Flyers could keep an eye on the rental market for netminders to see if there’s a low-cost upgrade available.
  • On the injury front, Briere is hopeful that winger Travis Konecny will be able to return soon from the upper-body injury that has caused him to miss four straight games. Monday versus St. Louis hasn’t been ruled out yet but Thursday against Florida might be more realistic.  Konecny has a 10-point lead on Joel Farabee for the team lead in scoring with 27 goals and 27 assists in 57 games.
  • Meanwhile, on the back end, Jamie Drysdale is getting some strength back in his shoulder after his recent injury but the team does not yet have a timeline for his return although they’re hopeful he’ll be back at some point this season. Veteran Rasmus Ristolainen, who has missed the last three weeks with an upper-body injury of his own, is in the same situation timeline-wise.

Flyers Could Keep Seeler, Walker If Strong Offer Doesn't Materialize

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Calgary’s decision to forego a first-round pick may have a domino effect on other sellers, too, TSN’s Chris Johnston added on “Insider Trading.” The Flyers are looking for one in return for shutdown blue-liners Nick Seeler and Sean Walker, while the Coyotes are hoping for one in exchange for Matt Dumba. Johnston added that the Flyers may be inclined to hold onto Seeler and Walker past the deadline and continue holding extension talks if they don’t get an offer they like. Meanwhile, the Coyotes are more likely to ship out Dumba for the best available offer regardless of whether a first-rounder is included.

Travis Konency Continues To Miss Practice With Upper-Body Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Top Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny has not yet returned to the team’s practices. He’s missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, seemingly suffered at the team’s Friday practice, which Konecny left early. He’s been a force for Philadelphia when healthy, scoring 27 goals and 54 points in 57 games.

Flyers Place Jamie Drysdale On IR, Recall Two

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Flyers have announced multiple roster moves, including recalling defender Ronnie Attard from AHL Lehigh Valley. To open up a spot on the active roster, the team moved Jamie Drysdale to injured reserve. He’s been listed as week to week with an upper-body injury sustained Sunday against the Penguins.

In another pair of moves, the Flyers said they’ve loaned netminder Calvin Petersen to Lehigh Valley and recalled Felix Sandström as starter Samuel Ersson’s backup. However, this transaction cannot be registered until Petersen clears waivers later today.

The IR placement doesn’t reflect Drysdale’s timeline for a return; it’s solely to create roster space for an additional recall on defense. He’s expected to miss more than the seven days required for an IR stint. Concerns remain that his upper-body injury is related to the torn labrum that sidelined him for nearly all of last season, although the team hasn’t disclosed any specifics.

Drysdale hasn’t exactly been impressive since coming over in a blockbuster swap with the Ducks for top forward prospect Cutter Gauthier early last month, recording four points and a -9 rating in 17 games while averaging 18:37. The 2020 sixth-overall pick still carries high upside, however, and experience logging important minutes down the stretch while the Flyers attempt to secure their first playoff berth in four years would have been beneficial.

The Flyers are slowly losing their grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division, however, and the gap could continue to close between them and the Devils and Capitals as long as leading scorer Travis Konecny remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. They’re expected to deal one or both of their high-end shutdown defense pairing of Nick Seeler and Sean Walker before the March 8 trade deadline, too.

Drysdale missing extended time leaves the Flyers with only one right-shot blue-liner in the lineup in Walker, so it makes sense that Philly would want to summon another righty option to compete for minutes with depth defenders like Marc Staal and Yegor Zamula. In comes the 24-year-old Attard, who leads Phantoms defenders in goals with 10 and has added 15 assists in 46 games, along with a +2 rating.

A third-round pick in 2019, Attard signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers after wrapping up his collegiate career at Western Michigan in 2022 and has since become a top-four fixture for Lehigh Valley. He hasn’t seen NHL action yet this season, although he’ll likely draw into the lineup at some point over their next few games, given head coach John Tortorella’s penchant for rotating his cast of third-pairing defenders.

After representing the United States at the World Championship last year, Attard inked a two-year, $1.7MM deal to remain in Philly after reaching restricted free agency. A two-way deal this year that sees him earn $775K in the NHL and $125K in the minors, it shifts to a one-way deal in 2024-25 and will pay him $925K no matter which league he’s assigned to.

The Flyers hope Sandström can provide a tad more relief for Ersson than Petersen, who struggled with a .864 SV% in his five appearances this season. Sandström’s .880 SV% in 20 games last season doesn’t offer much more optimism, though, nor does his .882 SV% and 3.23 GAA in 20 games for Lehigh Valley this season.

In fact, both Petersen and Sandström have been significantly outplayed by 30-year-old ECHL mainstay Parker Gahagen, who’s played a career-high 14 AHL games for the Phantoms with a 5-6-3 record and .908 SV%. He’s not signed to an NHL contract, however, and can’t be recalled by the Flyers unless that changes.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top