Flyers' Past Couple Of Weeks Has Re-Established D-Man As Big Trade Piece

While the early success of the Philadelphia Flyers didn't shake people's opinions on whether they should still sell this season, it got to the point where they were starting to be taken seriously as playoff contenders. That is until the Flyers have gone on a poor run and dropped out of the top-three in their division, soon to fall out of a playoff spot. This should reignite the trade talk surrounding this team.

Even though John Tortorella has this team playing hard every night and they can win games, it isn't their time just yet. They have some strong young players that still need time to develop and make an impact on their team. That being said, a name that was circulating the rumor mill a lot earlier in the season was Sean Walker. His name should start to come up again as he would be a strong third pairing defenseman on any contender this season, and doesn't have a massive cap hit that restricts teams from acquiring him.

With the acquisition of Jamie Drysdale, this adds a right-shot defenseman to the mix that previously wasn't there when Walker was playing very well at the beginning of the season. Since he is a UFA at the end of this season, teams will surely be calling about his availability as a rental. Before his trade value starts to drop with reduced playing time and a struggling team, the Flyers should really take advantage of this situation they are in and pull off an early trade. Organizations aren't held back by the trade deadline anymore. Trades are executed earlier. This is one that should be from the Flyers' perspective.