Defenseman Sean Walker has taken ‘opportunity’ with Flyers and run with it

The first thing Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan told John Tortorella about Sean Walker was that the Flyers were getting a defenseman who was competitive.

Walker was acquired by the Flyers along with goaltender Cal Petersen and other assets in the three-team deal that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus in June. Walker and Petersen were essentially salary-cap dumps sent to a team like the Flyers that could house their contracts as they rebuild for the future.

Walker said he wasn’t paying too much attention to the media after the trade, but he was well aware of where he stood in the transaction and why he was moved. The Kings had some younger defensemen knocking on the door and also needed to free up money to sign blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov. Walker had admirably returned from missing most of the 2021-22 season after undergoing surgery to repair two torn knee ligaments. But where he was headed on the team’s depth chart, combined with his $2.65 million cap hit, made him a movable asset.

“When the trade happened, you know you’re not the main part of the trade and it is what it is,” he said. “I know the player I can be. Given the right opportunity and the right situation, I knew I could perform well and do well.

“I know deep down in my core what I can bring to the table, so I just had to come here and show everyone else as well.”

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With the Flyers, Walker has found the right opportunity and the right situation. And Tortorella has had an up-close look at the soon-to-be-29-year-old’s competitive nature. The Flyers were open in training camp about wanting their young defensemen to push for roster spots. Walker, who went undrafted before debuting with the Kings in 2018-19, made it pretty clear right away that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Eight games into the regular season, Walker has been one of the Flyers’ best players. He entered Monday night’s game against Carolina with two goals, two assists and a plus-1 rating. He’s been even better in some advanced-metric categories. According to Evolving Hockey, Walker leads the Flyers in goals above replacement (2.7) and wins above replacement (0.5).

Walker said he loves it here, and the Flyers are asking him to play an aggressive type of game that fits his style.

“It’s been talked about, we want to create more offense,” Walker said. “That’s something that I feel like I can provide.

“Getting the opportunity, you play lots of minutes, you feel good, and your confidence gets higher. I’ve just been rolling off of that and feeling good.”

His coach is noticing. Early in the season, Tortorella said that Walker wasn’t being talked about enough. He’d joined the Flyers and had instantly become a steadying presence on the back line.

“He’s been really good,” Tortorella said Monday. “He’s been noticeable in that he’s probably one of our most aggressive defensemen in surfing, taking a chance as far as getting your gap very early, not waiting for them to cross the red line to get your gap.”

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Tortorella said he also likes the way Walker has been aggressive in joining the offense. Both of his goals have come while shorthanded.

Walker said he has enjoyed having the opportunity to play top-four minutes. The trade was sort of a fresh start, but it also comes at a critical point in his career. Walker will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and performing well will enable him to earn another NHL contract.

There’s also another part of this, too, one Walker learned in the offseason. He could be on the move again. The Flyers are rebuilding, and it’s possible Walker could be an attractive addition to another team at the trade deadline.

“That’s something that’s in the back of my mind, but that’s where it’ll stay,” Walker said. “I just want to be here, helping this team and showing my worth.”

Center Morgan Frost is slated to return to the Flyers’ lineup Monday night against Carolina.

Tortorella had insisted that Frost wasn’t benched for poor performance, and that other players were performing better, but Saturday marked the sixth consecutive game that Frost, 24, was out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.

Center Ryan Poehling is scratched from Monday’s lineup. Tortorella said previously that Frost wasn’t going to slot in the lineup in a role that didn’t fit him, and that meant Monday that Scott Laughton moved down to take Poehling’s place on the fourth line. Frost, meanwhile, lined up with Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster.

Tortorella said he is looking for Frost to bring pace and offense but is cognizant of the amount of time he has been off the ice in game action.

“I’m not an idiot,” Tortorella said. “You just can’t simulate game situations in practice.”

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Frost said he received support from family and friends during his time away from game action, including frequent texts from his mother.

He said he is going to keep it simple in his return, but he wants to show why he thinks he should be in the lineup every night.

“It [stinks], but at the same time I want to make it here and I want to be part of this group that’s coming up, this young group,” Frost said.

Defenseman Emil Andrae, whom the Flyers sent down to Lehigh Valley last week, was knocked out of Sunday’s game in the first period after taking a hard check and did not return. ... Goalie Carter Hart is slated to make his 200th NHL start Monday night. ... The Flyers conclude their four-game homestand Wednesday vs. Buffalo.