Flyers could still re-sign Sean Walker despite significant interest

Despite their third-place standing in the Metropolitan Division and very respectable 29-20-7 record, the Philadelphia Flyers will not be buyers ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline.

General manager Danny Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones have made it clear that, despite the club exceeding expectations in 2023-24, the commitment is still to the long-term success of the organization.

It’s been widely speculated that a pair of pending unrestricted free agent defensemen will be moved before the deadline. Both Nick Seeler and Sean Walker — two great potential additions for Stanley Cup contending clubs — are expected to be dealt.

And while Seeler almost certainly will be, the door hasn’t closed on a potential extension between Walker and the Flyers, at least according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.

“The Flyers are still exploring an extension with pending UFA defenseman Sean Walker and met with his rep last week while in Toronto, but the most likely scenario remains a trade given the value Walker could return [potentially a first-round pick],” the insider reported on Wednesday.

“Yes, the Flyers are in a playoff spot, but the bigger picture is still at play. Plus, the sides aren’t really close on what an extension should look like at this point.”

Although it still seems likely that Walker will be moved, it is interesting that the decision hasn’t 100 percent been made with just over two weeks to go until the deadline.

Can the Flyers make some noise down the stretch?

Assuming that both Seeler and Walker are traded before the deadline, the question becomes whether this roster will be good enough when the postseason comes around.

And that might be thinking too far ahead; as of Wednesday, the Flyers are holding onto the No. 3 spot in the division by just five points. The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders are right on Philly’s tail, while the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins continue to hang around.

As well, the Flyers lead the Detroit Red Wings by a single point for the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference. All it would take is a few bad weeks and Philadelphia could be on the outside of the playoff picture.

For that reason, it makes a lot of sense that the Flyers front office is continuing to rebuild properly, despite the encouraging success in 2023-24. And it also means that Nick Seeler and Sean Walker are probably playing their last couple of games in Pennsylvania.