The Colorado Avalanche made a big move on Wednesday, grabbing highly sought after right-handed defenseman Sean Walker in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Philadelphia Flyers send defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 5th round pick to Colorado Avalanche for a 2025 1st round pick and Ryan Johansen.

Due to the down year being had by most teams in the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers are sitting reasonably comfortable in the third place spot in the division, which automatically qualifies for the playoffs.

Normally a team in such a position would be adding aggressively at the deadline rather than considering selling, but the Flyers are unmistakably in the midst of a rebuild, and the chances of them going through the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers in back-to-back playoff series are slim to none.

As a right-handed defenseman, Walker plays one of the most coveted positions in the lineup, and teams are willing to pay a premium to get good ones. The Flyers are without their own second round pick this year, so a trade or two could replenish their stable of draft picks to get back in line with what a rebuilding team should have when the draft rolls around in June.

The Flyers being where they are in the standings and playing as well as they have has been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season, and Walker's performance is a huge reason why.

The 29-year-old has been a steady presence on both ends of the ice, producing respectable numbers offensively while driving possession and shot quality in his team's favor.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Walker boasts a 5-on-5 on-ice expected goals share of 55.43 percent. That rate puts him at 22nd among all NHL defensemen, and he's top 20 on the offensive side of that equation.